The Open Skies Agreement with Qatar grants Qatar Airways access to 49 airports in the EU while European airlines receive access to one airport in Qatar.
75% confidence
TransportInternational
Omissions
The figure of 49 refers to Qatar Airways' operational network as of 2024, not a contractual limit set by the agreement; the agreement itself provides unlimited access to EU territory for Qatari carriers and vice versa.
Qatar has only one major international airport (Hamad International Airport in Doha), making the comparison structurally imbalanced regardless of the agreement terms.
The agreement was signed in 2021 and entered into force provisionally, intended to create a single aviation market between the EU and Qatar.
Source publication dates are after the session date (April 2026), so the MEP could not have relied on these specific sources, though the underlying agreement terms have been public since 2021.
Sources
PrimaryEuropean Commission - Q&A: EU and Qatar Comprehensive Air Transport AgreementThe agreement signed will put in place a single set of rules for air transport services between the EU and Qatar, providing unlimited and unrestricted access to their respective territories for airlines from the 27 EU member states and Qatar.