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Qatar Airways Boss Concedes Impact on Profits Inevitable | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Qatar Airways aircraft is seen at a runway of the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens, Greece, May 16, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo REUTERS


Qatar Airways boss Akbar Al-Baker said Thursday his company’s profits would be hit by the Qatari crisis.

“It has to (affect profits) because we have additional costs to operate in and out of the country,” he said. 

Pressed on how much of an impact there would be, Baker declined to give numbers.

The airline faces a hit after the June 5 decision by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to cut relations with Qatar for supporting extremism and terrorism.

Their decision led to severing air and land links with Qatar.

The Doha-based carrier can no longer continue its services to the four countries, and has to divert some flights on longer routes because of airspace restrictions.