Hi everyone,
I like to follow these topics, but hardly post. Like everyone, I've got an opinion on this hot-button topic too.
In brief: I think EK and EY should be permitted the extra landing rights, but that the CDN govt should also negotiate something binding that is guaranteed to contribute to the Cdn economy, not just the EK marketing spin of jobs created. (e.g.: invest in aviation infrastructure in Canada; EK built a ATC Tower in Auckland). Considering that in exchange for the YYZ landing rights, Canadian carriers had
excellent reciprocal rights into AUH and DXB, it seemed like a good deal...as long as Air Canada was willing to
up its game and play hard with the new international big boys. Emirates flys widebodies like taxicabs into Australia, but QANTAS didn't cry much, they took it in stride, stayed competitive, and remain profitable.
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Now, although both governments have been silly in this episode, I think it's worth keeping all the political issues in context as well.
The landing rights is a perfect cover story for the much bigger political mess in the background.
In case you didn't know, here's a quick bit of background:
-Mossad assassinated a Hamas official in Dubai with a team of hitmen (early 2010)
-At least one FAKE Canadian passport was used by an assassin
-Canada arrested a suspect in Canada, linked to the killing (initially not in the news) and the UAE confirmed that a 'western' nation arrested a suspect
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Context required here: Canada's PM Stephen Harper LOVES Israel. Both countries have right wing nutjobs in power at the moment. Their relationship is extremely cozy. Admitting that Canada arrested an Israeli (Mossad agent) in the assassination using a FAKE Canadian passport would be very embarrassing. The suspect is apparently released and the issue isn't brought up for some time. Simply put, that's unacceptable.
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-UAE is pissed off.
-Harper tells a Jewish Conference in Ottawa, something to the effect that "as long as he's PM of Canada, Israel has a friend and ally, no matter what the consequences"
-everyone shakes their head and goes WTF? For such a politically charged region of the world, giving unequivocal support for one side is idiotic, and that too from a country known for neutrality and diplomacy. Not so much now...
The consequences begin:
-Canada is kicked off Camp Mirage. Actual cost is $300M/year, but Canada leased it for free. Landing rights to Defence minister's jet is denied.
-Canada is kicked off the UN Security Council (by influence from UAE towards voting members). Extra embarrassing: Canada sent RCMP officers with bottles of Maple Syrup to distribute to diplomats to thank them and celebrate Canada's expected victory. All RCMP and maple syrup returns home.
-Visas i.e. $$$ required for Canadians and many other countries visiting the UAE. Making people pay out of their pockets will get their attention.
And here we are now. This is not simply an issue of landing rights, there are major political differences in the background that the media fails to keep in context when bringing up the landing rights. It's naive to think that Canada was kicked off a military base for not allowing more of its planes to land.
I'd like to mention that the Ottawa Citizen piece comes off as very immature. The author writes like he is half drunk and giving one gigantic middle finger to the entire UAE without any consideration for context, background that goes back more than a month, or foresight for future relations. Cut all access to UAE airlines over Canadian airspace? Is he insane? Disprove connections to terrorism? This is a tagged-on-argument of convenience. If you start opening a can of worms like that, Canada's policies on a number of issues can be debated. In fact almost every government is shady in some way, be it developed, developing, or 3rd world. E.g.: why is PIA being allowed to fly to YYZ? I don't think it's much of a secret that Pakistan is a mess and is playing with both sides of the war in Afghanistan.
As far as AC is concerned...
Should I support Air Canada because I am Canadian? Having flown Etihad last year, in economy, I must say that Air Canada is
seriously lagging behind in service, food, IFE, passenger comfort, and the entire flight experience in general. When I do fly AC, their magazine usually touts their award of best North American Airline for how many ever years-in-a-row. Well, when you are comparing yourself to AA, Delta etc, it's like comparing apples to half-eaten rotten apples. What did the government have to say about AC trying to screw Porter when AC realized that Porter had a profitable business model out of YTZ? Nothing. AC was allowed to walk into YTZ after abandoning it years earlier. Any competition to AC is bad apparently.
Canadians as a whole have been brainwashed to be content with high taxes and low competition. In everyday life, this means high prices for cars, gasoline, food, homes, everything...all in the name of some kind of nationalism. If troff is an expat and not paying any taxes to the Cdn government, good for him. He's probably been taxed to death enough and can finally put away some money in the bank. The amount of tax money (your money, my money, Air Canada's money) WASTED in this country is mind boggling. There's a story about it in the CBC news every few weeks, and that's just the news that makes it out.
Canadians are desperate for increased competition. The consumer here is screwed around everyday. When it's cheaper to fly internationally than domestically, something is wrong.
If the CDN Govt can somehow negotiate guaranteed economic benefit in exchange for the landing rights, then its a win-win-WIN for the Emirates, Cdn govt, and importantly the Canadian flyer. That's what I'm for.
Sadly the entire issue is now getting ridiculous. See the
latest letter by Tim Clark to Harper.
That was a mouthful! Yes I sort of vented all my thoughts at once. Thanks for anyone who actually read the whole thing.
Cheers.