i thought that this was an aviation forum - this is a poor attempt at criticism towards both a country and an airline. let's keep politics/religion off this website.*** Mr Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum is the sheik, chairman of the A380's largest customer - Emirates, who with the other emerates' Ethihad, tries to aggressively (Emirates' need to meet increasing passenger demand ???) brake in foreign traffic rights++ with no respect for the sovereignity of others, nor their culture, liberties or democratic regimes and with bigger capacity aircraft, with no or very little home market.
++ In my opinion, such traffic rights should be made conditional upon the airline's country cultural and democratic regimes, and not depending on its money and petrol. May I remind there are no political parties in th UAE, and particularly that all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts, which is not acceptable in civil aviation.
The CIA states (updated DEC16. 2004): the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to southwest Asian drug producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving
Emirates' need to meet increasing passenger demand
Are the UAE's airlines really creating demand or just undercutting other airlines' rates with their heavily subsidised vehicles? On the other hand, these subsidised purchases of european aircraft, allow Airbus to build more aircraft than Boeing. Wonder how long the USA will take that!
The revealing of the new A380, 18 Jan
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If this is a 'poor' attempt, why react.CN-RAM wrote: this is a poor attempt at criticism towards both a country and an airline. let's keep politics/religion off this website.
The aggression of these airlines is NOT poor. They want to intrude in markets that are not theirs. Western carriers are forced out of these countries: No US carrier flies to KSA, and British Airways is pushed out of that kingdom as well. European carriers are boycotted, their managerial staff intimidated with jail, for procedures these ME-airlines managers practice daily in Europe, in the UK, in France, in Germany... (I am not inventing this, I have this first hand, CN-RAM)
These ME-countries do not have a home market the size of their airline's ambitions, and therefor they target the western and in particular European and Australian markets, markets of which they do not respect the cultural values and democratic standards. Westerners are not so welcome on some arabic airlines, anyway their culture and (also physical) integrity is not respected when they are unwillingly imposed to silence during religious practices on board so-called IATA carriers, although adherence to IATA implies no religious demonstrations by such carriers. I have never experienced western airlines impose that on ME passengers. That's all I'm saying.
Do you think these ME countries and carriers, even IATA ones, would refrain from imposing their ideas and their will on others?
One of the acquired freedoms of the West, is freedom of exposing ideas. Another is to respect the ideas and beliefs of others. If you adhere to that, why do you want to silence me?
Civil aviation is an important economical vehicle, so important that it can not be ruled by eg money only. Other (trade) ethical standards should apply too.
Wanting to ignore that, when it suits them, is that what they are aiming at? KSA eg buys politicians in the US and elsewhere, lobbies and also subsidies foreign elections... to persue their goals, would they accept that in their country?
Economy is not a one way deal, it is not a system in which one can only take or buy. Call that politics and one starts understanding that trade should be a balanced game of power, in which the other person also can say NO!
That's how it should work in the democratic world. Play it by the these rules or refrain, I'm tempted to say to these airlines.