No plans to form budget carrier: Qatar Airways
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A Qatar Airways plane sits on the tarmac at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. The head of fast-growing Qatar Airways said on Saturday there were no immediate plans to launch a budget airline to compete with Dubai's expanding low-cost carrier. -- PHOTO: AP
DUBAI (AP) - The head of fast-growing Qatar Airways said on Saturday there were no immediate plans to launch a budget airline to compete with Dubai's expanding low-cost carrier.
Instead, chief executive Akbar al-Baker said Qatar Airways would concentrate on enlarging its global network as part of rivalries with Gulf carriers Emirates and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.
Mr al-Baker was quoted by the Dubai-based Khaleej Times as saying there were no current plans to create a budget airline to challenge the growing market share of government-backed flydubai, which began service in 2009 and now serves more than 50 destinations.
However, Mr al-Baker said Qatar Airways was keeping "options open" on all future plans.
