The future of Emirates?
 

With Etihad and Qatar playing dirty by taking on routes that are initially unprofitable, would you call that 'government subsidised'?

I am just thinking of Laker, when the British government allowed BA to operate at non-profitable prices in order to force the Skytrain provider out of business. Guess what? It worked!

Could Emirates become another Laker? Remember, Emirates is not a state airline, it is a public company responsible to the share holders.

Don't forget Doha has a pidly little airport which cannot cope with the traffic they have got at the moment let alone in six months time plus asian games flop around the corner. I think Emirates will be fine. Its QR and the idiot that runs that has the problems.

Sorry forgot to mention the NEW airport which will be ready in 2009 inshalla. Judging by there road development projects that will be 2050

SecurID
 

I'm guessing you were joking with that quip about Emirates not being a government owned airline.

He never denied EKs ownership...

right 6 Dof, and as i mentioned before,being realistic, if nothing change rapidly, it´s a matter of time before Doha airport got a very bad reputation for transit,when you see the mess....keep in mind that most of Q.R passenger are transiting passenger!
we´ll see....

The reality is Emirates will always remain a core loss making sponsership, accomodation and administrative company supported by a profit making airline operations business as a sideline subsiduary.

All will continue as is until they have killed a few hundred people each, and then loose market share as a result.

Competion from india will increase and the Numpties in India will eventually realise that if they only spend a couple of billion dollars on infrastructure they will be able to drive the arab airlines into the sea with an even lower cost base and they are the majority nationality the arab airlines carry.

Global aviation will continue to be outsourced to ever lower cost hubs.

Iran will get out of hand and spark another war and the inustry will go further downhill.

Anyway thats what my crystal balls say so back to my Cab Sav

You have a valid point flybystring .

Putting aside any military conflicts that might arise or aggravate, The fact many new Indian entrants or newly privileged ex domestic airlines pose a potentialy serious threat to the whole of Gulf Airlines.

Obviously, it is still early enough for much of these airlines to formulate an offensive strategy in which they can preserve market share.

Some interesting times ahead, i say...:E