Plane talking
Amid the pandemic, one airline has been bucking the capacity trend. Gordon Smith spoke to Thierry de Bailleul, Qatar Airways’ VP of sales for Europe, about the carrier’s bold approach
Thierry de Bailleul has worked in the airline industry for more than 30 years
QATAR AIRWAYS
Pub quizzes. Remember them? Depending exactly when and where you’re reading this, these illustrious gatherings of inquisitive minds might just be springing back to life after a long winter of government-mandated hibernation. For anyone who’s feeling a little out of practice, here’s a nugget of aviation trivia to help you get back into the swing of things: ‘Over the past year, which airline has flown more cross-border seats, over a greater distance, than any other?’ It’s likely that the usual suspects will spring to mind – perhaps Emirates with all those A380s? American leveraging a strong vaccine rollout? Or maybe China Southern has raced ahead of the curve? The answer – according to data from analytics firm OAG – is Qatar Airways.
While the Doha-based carrier was far from a minnow in the pre-crisis aviation aquarium, it never quite reached the top of the league tables when it came to size. Depending on your metric, such accolades were usually the preserve of one of the big US airlines, a Middle Eastern rival or a Chinese conglomerate. COVID-19 changed all that. If the pandemic smashed the figurative fish tank, then Qatar Airways is better described as a piranha on the prowl, snapping up market share in this most challenging of environments.
Overseeing the carrier’s sales effort in Europe during this extended period of turbulence is Thierry de Bailleul. A seasoned aviator, the Frenchman joined Qatar Airways last summer, bringing with him more than 30 years of experience from across the industry.