LONDON—A group representing European airports is urging the
European Union to strike trade accords with Persian Gulf states and
others to reduce barriers to foreign carriers.
The move is likely to anger some of the airports' biggest
airline customers, which have clashed with rapidly expanding Middle
East carriers, such as Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar
Airways, over their pace and method of growth.
Air France-KLM SA and Deutsche Lufthansa AG, which have lost
Asian traffic to the Persian Gulf state airlines, have lobbied
national governments and the EU to curtail the growth of the rivals
they accuse of competing unfairly.
Arnaud Feist, chief executive of Brussels Airport and president
of the Airports Council International Europe trade group, said on
Thursday the Gulf carriers are "our longtime partners. For many of
us, their fate is also our fate."
The battle has now expanded to the U.S. carriers such as Delta
Air Lines Inc., American Airlines and United Airlines are leaning
on the government to limit the Mideast airlines' growth, though
travel groups and others are lobbying against restricting their
expansion.
The U.S. and European airlines opposing the growth of the Gulf
trio accuse their state-owned rivals of being able to undercut them
through government handouts. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways
deny the charge.
"The public financing of airport infrastructure, startup aid for
airlines or more favorable fiscal regimes are legitimate national
policy choices. They do not involve unfair competition," Mr. Feist
said at a gathering of airport executives in Prague, according to
his prepared remarks.
Mr. Feist acknowledged the Mideast airlines and the region's
huge hubs represent "a fierce challenge for European aviation,"
though he blamed European states for a lack of support rather than
the favorable conditions Gulf states have put in place.
The EU is drafting an aviation policy that could be completed
this year.
The airport lobby group and European Travel Commission
representing tourism organizations sketched out a joint position as
they called on the EU to put in place more liberal aviation
regimes. They urged the EU to strike so-called open skies
agreements, such as that existing with the U.S., with other trading
partners, including the Gulf states, China, India, Turkey, and the
10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations trade bloc.
Write to Robert Wall at robert.wall@wsj.com
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