Carsten Spohr and James Hogan are unfazed by the growing protectionist mood since Trump´s election. The chief executives of the airline groups Lufthansa and Etihad on February 1st shrugged off concerns that their industry could suffer from a protectionist backlash against free trade. Both said that aviation deals make globalization possible for other industries.
At an Abu Dhabi press conference to announce a tie-up in catering and potentially other areas of operation, Carsten Spohr, the chief executive of the German carrier, said that the aviation industry “are the good guys of globalisation. We make globalisation feasible for billions of people around the world”.
“We play a very important part in making globalisation positive for as many people as possible beyond aviation itself,” he said.
Etihad’s James Hogan said: “We continue to have dialogues with the GCAA, who in turn have their dialogue with the EU. There are challenges, there’s points of view. What is more important is how does partnership deliver. It’s about connectivity, it’s about jobs and economic contribution. It shouldn’t be about politics.” Continue reading ““The good guys of globalisation””