Originally Posted by
Papoo
Good observations, that's Etihads MO - snapping up 'distressed assets', if you will. Emirates are now reaching their negotiated slot limits with a lot of countries in the EU though, so hopefully that mitigates it somewhat.
Absolutely spot-on re. cabotage in the US. That's something that must be held sacred. It's where the money is in the future, because for various reasons, international competition isn't a level playing field, and your domestic market is so large.
In the EU, treating the whole continent as one country essentially enabled cabotage, and it's destroyed the short haul industry.
On the flip side, it's also enabled idiots like Kjos to set up NAI.
If NAI set up a company and operated out of an EU country, there wouldn't be as much of a concern. It's the cabotage feature that alarms people, the setting up of a shell company in Ireland to take advantage of EU's lucrative open skies treaty, but not using the EU's comprehensive labor laws, maint regulation, and oversight.