Boeing's McNerney talks of education being essential at Abu Dhabi summit

Universities in particular play an important role in advancing innovation through academic research and early-stage technology development. Boeing maintains strategic alliances with over 200 universities and higher education institutions globally including the Middle East.

“We make this investment in support of our most valuable resource – our people, current and future,” said McNerney.  “Critical to our global reach is a skilled and diverse workforce so we can lead Boeing’s second century of innovation. As a company with a global footprint, Boeing sees growing aspirations for increased skills and technology development around the world, and the UAE is no different.” 

According to McNerney, governments, too, play a central role in spurring   innovation, helping to shape business environments, providing basic R&D funding and taking the lead in setting education policies. 

Governments across the Middle East region, and in particular the United Arab Emirates, have already started incorporating innovation into their development plans. Recently, the UAE launched a national strategy that aims to make the country the most innovative nation in the world within seven years, with a specific focus on renewable energy, transport, education, health, technology, water and space exploration.

McNerney also addded that the long-haul hub model that’s helped Gulf airlines become some of the biggest in the world will persist for years, forcing rival carriers to develop new strategies. 

“Given the technology I see available, which is the size and range of airplanes, I think that this business model is sustainable for many, many decades,” McNerney said at an industry conference in Abu Dhabi. “The Europeans are going to fight back, the Indians are going to try to compete and the Asians are going to try to figure out a way to fly over you.”

Anaylst Saj Ahmad commented on this: "Gulf airlines have realised that they can not only leverage their geographic strength to bolster traffic demand into key hub airports, but the advent of new generation long haul jets that provide a one-stop connection between virtually any two city pairs has effectively forced European, Asian and US airlines into submission.

"Jim McNerney is right that the current model in the GCC region is one that will last for years. Many Arabian airlines have not squandered investments made in them and their infrastructure - they've been buying new jets, dumping old planes and expanding airports to accommodate growth. Contrast that to the perennial pendulum of US airlines visiting Chapter 11 more times in the last ten years than in the preceding five decades and the slew of European airlines that give nothing but crass lip service against Arabian airlines will offering abject products and poor value for money while being choked on staff and pension costs."

Ahmad added: "The big Arab Three in Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad have avoided such legacy problems. That's why the last half dozen new airplane launches have happened with them at the helm as they are industry leaders and innovators.

"The days of Asian or European airlines being bellwether carriers well and truly over and even Boeing (like Airbus) can see that the tectonic shift to the Gulf is here to stay."