Etihad urges Europe to resist protectionism
Etihad CEO James Hogan called upon European governments to resist "protectionism" and mounting pressure to deny airport landing rights to fast-growing Gulf carriers (The National, 21-Jan-2011). Mr Hogan made the statement at the European Aviation Club in Brussels ahead of a meeting between UAE and French officials to discuss future landing slot allocations in France. He stated that European airline should consider the increased competition as a catalyst to modernise their business models.
Etihad: "We must not allow economic adversity to nudge us back towards protectionism … Europe has led the way in the liberalisation of many markets and the economic benefits have been clear. Protecting a national carrier from open competition is a net negative policy setting for any economy," James Hogan, CEO. Source: The National, 21-Jan-2011.