US airlines hit back at ‘sexist and ageist’ remarks by Qatar Airways CEO
The US airline industry has fought back against comments made by Qatar Airways CEO about ‘crap’ US carriers and the age of their cabin crew.
In a message to its staff, American Airlines vice president of flight service Jill Surdek accused Qatar boss Akbar Al Baker of making ‘incredibly offensive’ comments, which were ‘both sexist and ageist at the same time’.
The row between the Oneworld partners broke out after the CEO of the Middle East airline said rival US carriers are ‘crap’ and passengers travelling on them are ‘always served by grandmothers’.
He was speaking at a gala ball at the InterContinental Hotel, Dublin, to celebrate the launch of a new route between the Irish city and Doha last week.
During his speech, Al Baker talked of the advantages of travelling on Qatar Airways’ new generation Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
He also mentioned the ‘excellent service from our international cabin crew’ and added: "By the way, the average age of my cabin crew is only 26 years. So there is no need for you to travel on these crap American carriers from Ireland."
According to Bloomberg, The Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, a coalition of the three US airlines, said the remarks were ‘misogynistic and demeaning’.
Meanwhile, the Air Line Pilots Association said the Qatar chief had ‘sunk to a new low’ and the Allied Pilots Association at American called the comments ‘insulting, disrespectful and childish’.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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