Activation of the EU-Qatar air transport agreement CATA would currently be very “harmful” for Europe and therefore irresponsible.

In the market environment of the pandemic, companies, unions, members of parliament and the chairwoman of the EU Parliament's transport committee, Karima Delli, are in favor of a delay. The EU Commission must now listen to this broad coalition and at least pause the agreement, according to the Cockpit Association. The VC board member for international affairs, Maria-Pascaline Murtha, explains: “Covid-19 plunged air traffic into the worst crisis in the history of the industry through no fault of its own. Granting state-subsidized airlines from third countries a massive expansion of market access in Europe at this absolutely critical point in time would be irresponsible and would endanger countless jobs in the European Union. Commissioner Valean, please do the right thing for our European aviation industry and its employees and pause the CATA agreement! "

background objects

In March 2019, the EU Commission signed a comprehensive air transport agreement called CATA (Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement) with the state of Qatar. The agreement provides for the gradual opening of the European market for airlines from Qatar. According to leading industry representatives, the basic idea of ​​an open skies agreement with Qatar would currently run diametrically against European interests in business and employment due to the Covid 19 crisis. Activation is therefore not appropriate. According to media reports, CATA is currently in the process of finalizing it within the Commission, after which the European Council would also have to approve.