Joyce derides Etihad as "a bike"

By admin


Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has ridiculed Etihad Airways, describing the airline as “a bike” next to the “BMW” of its Middle Eastern rival, Emirates.

The swipe came as Joyce spoke of its alliance with Emirates and how Qantas had earlier rejected the advances of James Hogan, the Melbourne-born chief executive of Abu Dhabi-based Etihad.

In a comment that drew an instant reaction from delegates at the CAPA aviation conference in Sydney, Joyce said partnership talks with Etihad “was like being offered a bike before the BMW”.

The fit with Emirates was “perfect” he said, with the alliance giving the Qantas Group and Emirates a combined market share of the international market in Australia of around 36%.

The alliance will continue to “get bigger and better”, he added.

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