Quantcast

European Network Airlines Association calls for probe into EU-Qatar skies deal amid corruption claims

Airline CEO wants airports to cap passengers at 2 alcoholic drinks to limit on-board disruptions
Emirates Will Buy 5 Airbus A380s From Lessor For $200 Million
Delta Air Lines named official airline of the WNBA
Pair Of C-Suite Officials Depart Wheels Up
LAX Receives Final Cars for People Mover Train
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger clears Justice Department hurdle, now faces DOT
Alaska Airlines flight attendants reject new contract, union says there's 'more work to do'
Elliott Investment To Push For 10 New Boardroom Directors At Southwest Airlines
Alaska Air Backs JetZero Blended-Wing Design
AI in Aviation Line Maintenance: A Strategic Response to Delays, Satisfaction, and Staffing Challenges
Air taxi service plans for 2026 Los Angeles launch at USC, SoFi and LAX
VistaJet Flight Brings Home Americans in Prisoner Swap
Air Canada Blames Paris Olympics On Decreased Profits
Delta passengers sue airline over refund refusals after CrowdStrike meltdown
Microsoft fires back at Delta after massive outage, says airline declined ‘repeated’ offers for help
Korean Air Confirms A Spacious Lounge Is Coming To The New Terminal One at New York JFK
VAS Aero Services to Acquire an Additional 17 Airbus A320 Airframes, Bringing to 23 the Total Number of A320s Slated for Teardown and Harvested Parts Redistribution
Delta CEO says CrowdStrike-Microsoft outage cost the airline $500 million
Boeing Reports $16.9 Billion In Revenue For 2nd Quarter With 5,400 Commercial Aircraft Backlog
United Airlines says flight attendant in Terrell Davis incident is no longer employed and NFL legend’s ‘no fly’ ban is lifted | CNN
Nepal Plane Crash Kills 18 After Takeoff - Airline Ratings
Southwest Airlines is getting rid of open seating | CNN Business
CrowdStrike Outage Caused 10% Spike in Air Charter
Aircraft Engine Maintenance and Repair to Peak in 2026, Worsening Capacity Shortage for Commercial Aviation, Says Bain & Company
Joby’s Electric Air Taxi Makes European Debut
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation announces NLRB-scheduled vote to remove union officials
Families recount the horror of MH17 ten years on - Airline Ratings
777-9 Enters Certification Flight Testing - AVweb
Kompass Kapital Sets New Course with Airshare Investment
SATS, SIA Engineering Company and Changi Airport Group to Trial Autonomous Buses at Changi Airport
European Network Airlines Association calls for probe into EU-Qatar skies deal amid corruption claims
Policy
Webp received 845613761019623
Dr. Walter Goetz European Network Airlines Association Cabinet Member | Official Website

The European Network Airlines Association (ENAA) has requested the European Commission (EC) to investigate the Open Skies agreement between the European Union (EU) and Qatar. This request comes in light of the 'Qatargate' corruption scandal that emerged in December 2022.

According to POLITICO, ENAA sent a letter to the EC's Mobility and Transport Department (DG MOVE), urging an investigation into whether the EU-Qatar Open Skies agreement can be upheld. The association, which includes airlines such as Aegean Airlines, Air Dolomiti, Air France, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS, and TAP Air Portugal, claims that Qatar has not provided financial transparency.

As a result of these concerns, ENAA is calling for immediate action from the EC to ensure compliance with the Open Skies agreement and has asked DG MOVE to require Qatar to demonstrate adherence to fair competition obligations within a month.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

In 2018, Qatar Airways and two other Middle Eastern carriers reached an agreement with the US government to publish detailed financial reports after allegations by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines regarding illegal subsidies.

This is not the first time European airlines have questioned the EU-Qatar Open Skies agreement. In December 2024, Lufthansa Group urged Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EC, to suspend the agreement due to serious corruption allegations. Airports Council International (ACI) Europe responded by stating that suspending the agreement would harm EU's international credibility and limit airport expansion opportunities.

The corruption allegations related to 'Qatargate' surfaced in December 2022 when Belgian police arrested several members of the European Parliament over accusations of accepting bribes from countries including Qatar. Despite assurances from Carlos Bermejo Acosta of DG MOVE that there was no room for illegal speculation regarding the Open Skies agreement with Qatar in January 2023, POLITICO later revealed that Henrik Hololei received free business class flights from Qatar Airways during negotiations.

Věra Jourová stated that "competent Commission services are currently looking into" Hololei's trips but found no indication of undue influence on negotiations. She emphasized that "the aviation agreement between the EU and Qatar ensures...high standards for safety [and] fair competition."

The EC announced in 2021 that this Open Skies agreement would replace all bilateral agreements between EU Member States and provide a unified legal basis for developing aviation markets between Qatar and Europe. Data shows that in June 2025, Qatar Airways plans 348 weekly frequencies from 30 airports in Europe compared to June 2019 when it had 379 weekly flights.

Organizations Included in this History
More News

Alaska Airlines has announced a significant expansion of its route network for 2026, with plans to introduce service to two new cities and launch 13 new or returning routes.

Oct 25, 2025

Delta Air Lines will introduce new in-flight menu options created by celebrity chef José Andrés starting November 4.

Oct 25, 2025

The Blue Sky partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue launched today, allowing members of both airlines’ loyalty programs to earn and redeem points across the two carriers.

Oct 25, 2025

Air Canada is set to expand its presence at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) by introducing four new nonstop routes to the United States in 2026.

Oct 25, 2025

United Airlines has announced it will add 10 new destinations from its Chicago O'Hare International Airport hub starting next year.

Oct 25, 2025

The partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue, known as Blue Sky, has officially launched.

Oct 25, 2025