Taking A High Flier

Newsweek, April, 2008 by Adam B. Kushner

With big orders and pushy demands, Middle East carriers are upending the global airline industry.

For the Gulf States, building a luxury tourism infrastructure is only half the battle. Then they need to get visitors to come and enjoy it. Located so far away from many of the world’s wealthiest consumers, Middle Eastern countries—especially the United Arab Emirates and Qatar—are recognizing the need for aerospace industries to feed their tourist trades. The story of their top-of-the-line carriers is well chronicled.

What is less well known is just how radically their efforts are changing the global airline industry. These carriers are making plays for the lucrative first- and business-class markets by spending lavishly on shiny new planes, terminals and...

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