European carriers concerned about Emirates' growth

British Airways CEO, Willie Walsh, stated Emirates' long-haul expansion plans represent a threat to long-haul European carriers, stating: "It's definitely going to have an impact on the business" (Bloomberg, 22-Jun-2010). Similarly, Lufthansa CEO, Wolfgang Mayrhuber, commented: "It's a miracle that Emirates already has more inter-continental seats than Air France and British Airways combined. It took us 40 years to get 30 747s in the air in one of the biggest global economies, so one must assume that this is an investment for the world."