With the pandemic, Qatar Airways has become the largest airline
This may sound absurd. At such a complicated time with most carriers forced to reduce their traffic, Qatar [...]
Qatar Airways
Oneworld
It may sound absurd. At such a complicated time with most carriers forced to reduce their traffic, Qatar Airways has taken the lead as the world's largest long-haul airline. A mileage record that allowed it to overtake rival Emirates for the first time. Behind this achievement is a very specific strategy that led to taking advantage of all the conditions imposed by the pandemic.
In this article:
What is ASK and how to identify the largest airline
To understand what Qatar Airways has been able to accomplish, one must first consider. the ASK (Available Seat Kilometers) parameter. It is a number that determines which is the largest long-haul airline in the world. ASK is calculated by multiplying the available seats on an aircraft by the distance in kilometers flown. Basically, it indicates which airline has the largest planes that travel the most miles on cross-border routes. Primacy allows for considerable publicity and imposing one's presence in the market. This aspect in particular has been the goal from the very beginning of Qatar Airways.
Its recourse has resulted in an ASK of 2.5 billion as of March 2021 with more than 1,000 flights per week, but the plan is to produce twice as much ASK of Air France And the 13% more than the rival Emirates. An incredible record when one considers how the world has changed because of the pandemic, but the strategy chosen by the Qatari flag carrier was clear from the outset: fly as many planes as possible, even half-empty ones, and reduce routes as little as possible. Of course, the support of the Qatari government with subsidies that could cushion losses and a package of support to boost prestige ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Qatar Airways' strategy
In detail, Qatar Airways did not make cuts, but invested further to gain market share. One of the first moves implemented was to Repatriate passengers stranded abroad, a choice that allowed them to gain trust and consideration.
Flying anyway and as much as possible, this was the second step of the strategy. A goal pursued even while risking virtually empty flights with 15% coverage. There were many flights to Australia despite restrictions on the number of passengers the country wanted. So many, for the period, routes open. Among the most important are those for San Francisco in the United States, Brisbane in Australia, Abidjan in the Ivory Coast and Accra in Ghana. A plan that has enabled Qatar Airways to handle 22.3 percent of all flights from Asia, compared with 16.7 percent for Emirates, which has been present in this market for nine years.
The first flight with vaccinated passengers and crew
The third and final step in the race between Qatar Airways and Emirates took place last month. Emirates announced The arrival of flights with fully vaccinated crew and passengers on board, scheduling the first trip on April 10. Qatar Airways has burned its time and realized a similar flight four days earlier gaining more publicity and attracting the market.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, Qatar Airways also hired several pilots and other aircraft staff members who had been laid off or had taken pay cuts at Emirates. A move that further ignited the rivalry between the two airlines.
