It seems the Big 3 Gulf Carriers are accelerating their growth and moving into Hyper-growth mode. These unprecedented orders of widebody aircraft will tie up any chance for any future Big scale growth by any of the existing Western carriers. All of this competition though may be short lived if an economic down cycle or Middle East war erupts. The Big 3 Gulf carriers know how to manage during growth periods but none of them have been seriously tested during economic downturns. I know Emirates has an outstanding marketing/ticket sales team which go into new markets at least 6 month ahead of innagural service and perform marketing and promotions to gain business. The other 2 Gulf carriers though I am not sure can sustain this growth. The few times I have flown on Emirates and Qatar I have always been impressed by their new aircraft, outstanding service and cheap tickets. Interesting times and an interesting story. The governments of these 3 carriers always seem to be amazingly supportive of expansion and growth unlike Western governments.

Dubai Airshow: 'Gulf Three' deals will strike fear into rival airlines - CNN.com