Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker is drawing fire for insulting
U.S. flight attendants during a talk in Ireland last week.
"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," Al Baker said during a July 5 speech in Dublin, where he was
greeted with raucous laughter. "You know you are always being served by
grandmothers on American carriers."
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a labor union
representing 50,000 flight attendants in the U.S., said it was
"disgusted but not surprised by Qatar Airways' attack on women."
"Straight from Akbar Al Baker lips, he confirms what
AFA has said all along: Qatar Airways thrives on misogyny and discrimination,"
said union president Sara Nelson in a statement.
Al Baker's crack and the union's rebuke fuels the ongoing
dispute between the U.S.'s major international airlines and the Gulf carriers.
"Qatar is not only seeking to choke out U.S. aviation,
but also the 300,000 good jobs built through opportunity created on the
principle of equality," Nelson said. "There is no room for a
separation of humanity in air travel or in an emergency. Flight attendants are
onboard to save lives and every life counts. If you prop up Qatar Airways, you
are supporting sexism, racism, and ageism. Period."
United, Delta, American and U.S. aviation labor unions have called
for sanctions against Qatar, Emirates and Etihad. They accuse the Gulf carriers
of violating aviation agreements by accepting $50 billion in state subsidies
since 2004. The carriers deny the accusation.
The Partnership for Fair & Open Skies, a lobbying group
founded by the Big 3 U.S. carriers and unions to push for government action
against the Gulf carriers, issued its own statement calling for its opponents
in the open skies dispute -- including the U.S. Travel Association, JetBlue and
FedEx -- to condemn Al Baker's comments.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said Al Baker owes
U.S. airline workers an apology, stating that his "sexist and degrading
remarks are an affront to our core values as a country."