Poonoosamy calls on governments to hold nerve over air liberalisation

Speaking at the Global Strategy Summit in Beijing today as part of the World Route Development Forum, Etihad vice president of international affairs Vijay Poonoosamy said he feared the global recession is prompting some governments to put air liberalisation on hold, or in some cases, move backwards.

“The case of liberalisation for our industry is compelling to me, to most, but sadly not to all,” he said. “Some countries are putting up the barriers, not just in air transport, but in other sectors as well.

“We need to encourage governments to look at the bigger picture, at the long-term national interests,” he says, urging them to think beyond protecting national carriers who may be struggling during the tough economic slump. “Protecting them from competition will not guarantee they will improve, it might put them [the airline] on life support for a bit, but the country might actually be cut off [in the long-term].”

Poonoosamy also urges governments to help use tourism and travel as a driver to help stimulate economies. “The world needs aviation. It remains a catalyst for social economic growth,” he says.  

“These are exceptionally challenging times. We must do all we can to boost national economies, by boosting travel and tourism. Let’s scrap national policies that put taxes and charges on travel. Let’s unleash the power of travel and tourism.”