The spat between Qatar Airways and Delta Air Lines has deepened after the boss of the Doha carrier said its new Atlanta route would “rub salt in the wounds” of his US rival.
Akbar Al Baker reportedly made the comment as his airline hosted a special event in Atlanta, Delta’s HQ, to celebrate the new flights which are set to launch on June 1.
Bloomberg reported that the event at the city’s Fox Theatre featured a private show by Jennifer Lopez, prompting Delta to cancel its long-standing sponsorship of the concert venue.
The backdrop to the event is a spat between top US carriers like Delta and Gulf airlines including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad.
Delta has accused Gulf airlines of competing unfairly by receiving billions in government subsidies, claims strongly denied.
“When the Fox shared its decision to continue doing business with Qatar, an airline proven to engage in business practices that harm US aviation jobs and violate basic human rights, we let them know we wouldn’t be renewing our sponsorship,” Delta said in a statement cited by Bloomberg.
It quoted Al Baker as saying: “It’s really bizarre that they are so paranoid of Qatar Airways’ service. This shows that they have absolute disregard for the famous institutions of Atlanta.”
The daily Atlanta-to-Doha flight makes its debut on June 1 and will be operated by an A380.
Qatar Airways’ third new destination to the United States this year, Atlanta follows the start of services to Los Angeles and Boston. More than 5,000 seats are flown each day between Qatar and the United States.
Addressing media, Al Baker said: “With our expanding presence in the United States, we look forward to welcoming new passengers from Atlanta and beyond to experience our product and the distinct hospitality of Qatar Airways.”
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