Qatar Airways Renews Threat to Exit Oneworld Over Qantas Rift - Bloomberg

Qatar Airways Renews Threat to Exit Oneworld Over Qantas Rift - Bloomberg:

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker renewed his threat to abandon the Oneworld global alliance, citing a letter he said Australian partner Qantas Airways Ltd. had sent to staff attacking his carrier’s expansion there.

Al Baker’s comments on Tuesday mark a further deterioration in relations with Qantas, which has a joint venture with Qatar Air’s Dubai-based rival Emirates. The CEO reiterated remarks from October saying he could abandon Oneworld if other members fail to act “in the spirit” of the partnership.

“I don’t see any point in us continuing to stay a part of Oneworld when other partners see us as a threat,” Al Baker said at an International Air Transport Association conference in Madrid. “We have put the chips on the table.” He added that Qatar Air’s expansion on routes to Australia had been at the invitation of the country’s government.