It was a geopolitical earthquake for sure, and potentially a seismic shift as well for the region’s globally significant airlines. Last week, several Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., suspended diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, putting the very viability of Qatar Airways in jeopardy. Not only has the carrier lost access to many of its most critical markets like Dubai, Jeddah, Bahrain and Cairo. It perhaps even more importantly can’t fly through much of the region’s airspace, thereby extending the lengths of its flights. This means higher crew and fuel costs, a sharp reduction in productive aircraft…
