Nationalism Takes Flight: Emirati and Qatari Flag-Carrying Airlines as Instruments of Nationalist Ex

Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways connect cities as distant as Krabi, Panama City, Djibouti City, Cebu, Skopje, and Birmingham through their respective hubs. e characteristic liveries of these three airlines appear on landing strips across the world, and ll the runways of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha’s international airports. Conducting long-haul ights on mammoth aircra s such as the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380, the flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are widely renowned for their exceptionally high-quality service; Forbes describes their in- ight amenities as including “Sixteen exclusive Bulgari amenity kits... [and] Dom Pérignon vintages paired with canapés of cured duck with sa ron poached peach.”1 Looking beyond the reputation of luxury that is commonly attributed to the ag carriers of the Arab Gulf, these airlines function as powerful tools in the expression of Emirati and Qatari nationalisms. Read the full article here.

Image from Kenneth Iwelumo, http://www.airliners.net/photo/Emirates/Airbus-A380-861/1412223/L

Used under GNU Free Documentation License 1.2