The European Commission's plan to evaluate the EU-Qatar air transport agreement by the end of 2029 has drawn renewed criticism from cabin crew representatives, who want an immediate investigation and suspension of the pact's provisional application.
The European Cabin Crew Association (EurECCA) argues that the timetable would defer meaningful scrutiny until close to the end of the current Commission and European Parliament mandates. It has called for an investigation and written report before the end of 2026.
“This timetable does not resolve the concerns raised by the Parliament; it postpones them,” EurECCA President Cas Voskuyl said. “An evaluation scheduled for the very end of the current institutional cycle cannot substitute for meaningful scrutiny and accountability while the agreement is being implemented.”
The Commission, however, has committed only to an evaluation within the timetable requested by the European Parliament.
“The Commission intends to carry out an evaluation of the agreement, as requested by the European Parliament, by the end of 2029 at the latest,” a spokesperson told Aviation Week.
The Commission has not characterized the planned exercise as an investigation or indicated that it intends to suspend the agreement while the evaluation takes place.
The EU-Qatar Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement was signed in October 2021 and has been applied provisionally while ratification procedures continue. It progressively liberalized market access between Qatar and EU member states and includes provisions covering fair competition, transparency, environmental protection and social issues.
At the time, the agreement faced strong opposition from European network airlines, including Air France-KLM and Lufthansa. They argued that it would ultimately give Qatar Airways unrestricted access to EU destinations, while Qatar's smaller home market offered European carriers fewer equivalent commercial opportunities.
However, confidence in the negotiations has been challenged by controversy involving former European Commission mobility and transport department director general Henrik Hololei. Hololei accepted free flights from Qatar Airways while negotiations with Doha were taking place, prompting questions about a potential conflict of interest. Hololei and the Commission maintained that he complied with the rules in place at the time. He subsequently moved to another commission role before being dismissed.
In February, the European Cockpit Association, European Network Airlines' Association and European Transport Workers' Federation jointly called for the agreement's immediate suspension. The organizations argued that the controversy had weakened confidence in the negotiating process and criticized the pact on competitive grounds.
However, Europe's airports have opposed a suspension. ACI Europe said earlier this year that such a move would damage connectivity, consumer choice and the EU's credibility as an international partner. The association also argued that there was no tangible evidence that the agreement had given Qatar Airways a dominant or unfair market position at the expense of European airlines.
The latest capacity data shows that the EU-Qatar market contracted during summer 2026 amid conflict in the Middle East—although it became even more concentrated around Qatar Airways.
OAG Schedules Analyzer data shows airlines provided approximately 4.43 million two-way seats between the EU and Qatar during summer 2026, down 25.3% from 5.93 million a year earlier. Qatar Airways accounted for 99.9% of capacity, up from 96.1% in summer 2025.
Iberia suspended its daily Madrid-Doha service in March, before the summer season began, leaving Qatar Airways as effectively the market's sole operator. Iberia's remaining 0.1% share reflects a single round trip operated in August, according to OAG data.
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