Qatar Airways has issued a statement refuting ‘false accusations’ relating to its shareholding in Air Italy.
It comes after the US said it was scrutinising the investment.
Qatar Aiways said its 49% stake in Air Italy’s parent company, AQA, is at the same level that Delta holds in both Virgin Atlantic and Aeromexico, and that Etihad held in Alitalia.
It said the investment and its operations to the US are fully compliant with the US-Qatar Open Skies Agreement.
It also pointed out that it does not codeshare on any of Air Italy’s flights to the US and has no plans to do so.
"The ‘Big 3′ US carriers have consistently demonstrated their hostility to new entrants into the US-Europe market, and their attacks on Air Italy based on the identity of its minority shareholder are just another manifestation of this hostility,’ said the statement.
"Air Italy, the carrier the ‘Big 3’ cite as a major ‘threat’ to their survival, has a fleet of just 15 aircraft and only serves one US city – New York – with a daily service while other routes, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco are operated at a lower frequency."
