Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker threatened to sever ties with the oneworld alliance due to ongoing tensions with American Airlines, just two years after the Gulf carrier became a member.
“There is no point in us being in oneworld if an airline that invited us, hosted us in America to sign the entry to oneworld, is today going against us,” Baker said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Monday.
In 2013, Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to enter a global alliance when it joined oneworld. The alliance currently has 15 members including American Airlines and Royal Jordanian.
Currently, the three Gulf carriers – Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates – are in an ongoing spat with rival U.S. airlines United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines.
So far the conflict hasn't escalated much beyond accusations.
The U.S. airlines accused the Gulf carriers of having received some $42 billion in unfair subsidies from their respective governments over the past decade. Last month, a report commissioned by Etihad Airways suggested that U.S. carriers have received over $70 billion in benefits from the U.S. government.
In addition to threatening to part ways with the alliance over American Airline's accusations, Baker suggested that the airline has been withholding information relating to the transfer of passengers and that American Airline's has been blocking Qatar Airways new A350s from accessing terminals at JFK Airport in New York.
Baker stated that he would give oneworld time to address his concerns for now. However, it doesn't look like the relationship between American Airlines and Qatar Airways will be improving much in the near future.