Airline industry group boss Graeme Samuel has made an “unqualified apology” to the Kenyan high commission after unfavourably comparing Canberra and Nairobi airports.
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Mr Samuel, who is also the former chair of Australia’s competition watchdog, last week likened the aggressive tactics of Canberra Airport to something out of Somalia or Kenya.
Kenya’s high commissioner to Australia, Isaiya Kabira, rebuked the comparison in an open letter sent to Fairfax Media.
“While it is in your full right to express your outrage, we find it extremely unfortunate that you draw parallels of inefficiency and imagery of piracy to a respected and much-admired airport of Nairobi,” Mr Kabira wrote.
On Monday Mr Samuel wrote to the high commission to apologise for his remarks.
“I made a spur of the moment comment, with a poor choice of words referring to Nairobi, which I immediately regretted,” he wrote.
“In making these remarks, I did not intend in any way to offend you or your country.
“In fact, in making my comments I went on to say that I was sure that the behaviour described at Canberra airport would not occur in Nairobi.”
Mr Samuel made the comparison at an airline industry event at Parliament House earlier in May.
“I can’t contemplate any place in the world, except perhaps Somalia or perhaps Nairobi, where an aircraft would, having had to make an unscheduled landing because of weather, had a car parked in front of the aircraft, saying you cannot move until the airline provides a Visa card to extract a charge of $18,000,” he said.
“That’s not Australia. That’s a third world country. I’m assured by Qantas it doesn’t even happen in third world countries they are involved in.”
In contrast, Mr Kabira said Nairobi Airport was a bustling freight and transport hub of which Kenyans were proud.
At the same event Alan Joyce had likened Canberra Airport to a band of Somali pirates.
“Maybe the airport should be called ‘The Canberra Pirates’ because you wouldn’t have this in Somalia,” Mr Joyce said.
“You wouldn’t have this in other parts of the world. It is unbelievably appalling behaviour.”
Qantas also wrote to the Kenyan high commission to clarify its remarks on Monday.
“Qantas does indeed hold Kenya and Nairobi in high regard,” group executive Andrew Parker wrote to high commissioner Isaiya Kabira.
“We regularly promote your country in our various digital and marketing platforms and in our Qantas Magazine, which has a circulation of over four million readers.”
