QUOTES OF THE YEAR •
Qatar Airways proves its depth under pressure “It is not often that a single financial year asks an organisation to demonstrate both the best of what it can achieve and the depth of what it can withstand. The 2025/2026 financial year did both, and the Qatar Airways Group rose to each in turn.” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Hamad Al-Khater, commenting on the group’s FY2025/26 results. Qatar Airways Group reported QAR7.08 billion (US1.94 billion) in post-tax profit, despite a final month impacted by significant geopolitical events, and carried more than 41.8 million passengers.
Etihad powers Abu Dhabi’s global gateway “Maintaining load factors above 89% while growing capacity at this pace is something we are proud of. It reflects the strength of our network and Abu Dhabi’s growing appeal as both a destination and a gateway for travellers across the region and beyond.” Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, commenting on Etihad’s January 2026 traffic performance. The airline carried 2.2 million passengers during the month, up 29% year on year, with a passenger load factor of 89.9%.
Who is really to blame for overtourism? “[Airbnb has become] a convenient scapegoat. In Barcelona, housing prices rose 60% over the past decade, but Airbnb listings actually decreased. So, we can’t be the culprits. Sure, people see a lot of tourists, but many of them are cruise ship passengers or hotel guests. In Barcelona, that’s around 70%.” Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO, arguing that cities need better housing policy as protests targeted mass tourism and short-term rentals in Europe ( Business Inside r).
Aviation’s inflection point articulated by new ICAO President “A system built for four billion passengers cannot support three times that number without transforma- tion. Future generations will live with the legacy of the decisions we make now. The world is watching. We must strengthen oversight, modernise infrastructure, invest in people and accelerate progress towards net-zero carbon emissions. This is a decisive point in aviation history.” Toshiyuki Onuma, President of the ICAO Council, addressing the Changi Aviation Summit 2026 (February) as he warned that global passenger numbers – which surpassed 4.6 billion in 2024 – are expected to roughly triple by mid-century, requiring urgent transformation across safety, infrastructure and sustainability.
ATM YEARBOOK 2026 | 31
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