Embarrassing Qatar Airways Debut Flight in the U.S.

Qatar Airways has a huge ambition to expand its operation in the US. In order to do so, its CEO even dare to challenge Delta Airlines in a press conference. However, the ambition now face a very huge obstacle, after its debut flight in the U.S. ended in an embarrassing failure to take-off in New York's JFK airport on Thursday night of December 10.

Carrying only selected people from media and Qatar Airways employees, this flight should be an opportunity to mark its presence in the U.S. airspace. Nevertheless, its first departure from U.S airport ended up in a rough self-aborted take off from JFK airport, New York.

Journalist Zach Honig, editor-in-chief of Points Guy, was one of the few of passenges onboard the plane. He reported his scarry experience on board Qatar Airways flight, "About 18 seconds after we began rolling down JFK's runway 22R, the aircraft self-aborted, bringing us from more than 100 mph to a loud, screeching halt in roughly 15 seconds." 

Fortunately, all passengers are safe, although some passengers were quite shaken and wanted to get off the plane. Qatar Airways' officials disallowed the requests, and its Chief Commercial Officer, the highest ranking executive onboard the plane, explained the indicator was responsible for the abrupt halt. The plane was finally made its take-off two hours after the incident.

Daily Mail reported the Thursday night's chartered flight from New York to Doha, Qatar, was carrying just 36 passengers, as the airline became the first to operate an A350 from the US after flying in earlier in the week. Passengers watched the moment unfold as live footage from a forward-facing camera mounted on the plane's tail was beamed onto their in-flight entertainment screens.

Qatar Airways expanding ambitions to expand its operation might be just too big for the small gulf airline. Previously, in just a few days before in a press conference, Qatar Airways' CEO Akbar Al Baker launched an attack to statement from Richard Anderson, Delta Airlines CEO that said the Gulf carriers: Emirates, Etihad and Qatar are not airlines but governments. Richard Anderson said his statement last June on Detroit Economic Club.

As reported by Mashable, Al Baker said that Anderson criticism was nonsense and aimed to stifle the competition to swindle more American passengers. He even went further by saying a harsh sentence, "Let him come face to face with me in any forum. I will hang him on a wall."

Regardless of competition, the unfortunate event in JFK will be a disadvantage for Qatar Airways in fulfilling its ambition. This incident may show that the Gulf carrier is not ready to take on challenge in the bigger market.