A popular airline influencer with over 788,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel has been allowed on board a Qatar Airways airplane for the first time since 2023, when he was controversially banned from flying with the Doha-based airline.
German vlogger Josh Cahill, who regularly gets hundreds of thousands of views on his YouTube videos flying different airlines around the world, was banned by Qatar Airways in December 2023 after he posted a negative flight review.
Cahill’s ban came just months after he posted a video review he titled ‘The Shocking Decline of Qatar Airways’ based on a flight he had taken from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to London Heathrow with a connection in Doha.
According to the sometimes-colorful influencer, Qatar Airways wasn’t impressed with the negative publicity and wanted him to delete the video. In exchange for his cooperation, the airline allegedly offered to gift him a free flight.
Cahill turned down the airline’s offer, prompting Qatar Airways initially to try to get YouTube to take down the video over the invasion of privacy of crew members who featured in Cahill’s review.
But when YouTube ruled in Cahill’s favor, the airline banned Cahill, citing its contract of carriage that states that passengers are not allowed to film onboard its aircraft without express permission.
Cahill found out about the ban when Qatar Airways told him that an upcoming booking had been canceled. He was then informed that the airline would not accept any future bookings from him.
But nearly 18 months after Cahill was banned, he has finally been allowed onboard a Qatar Airways plane…. although there is a twist.
Cahill is attending this week’s Paris Air Show, where Qatar Airways has a significant presence, including a static aircraft display of a Boeing 777-300. As is routine at air shows, the airline allows attendees onboard its static displays to check out the onboard product.
Seemingly unaware that Cahill is still banned, Qatar Airways staff welcomed him onboard the static display, and Cahill quickly posted a photo of himself on social media sitting in one of the airline’s iconic QSuite Business Class seats.
In a follow-up post, Cahill wrote: “Perhaps Qatar Airways will unban me now.”
Qatar Airways has consistently declined to comment on its relationship with Cahill and what exactly went down in the lead-up to his being banned. The possibility of the ban being lifted may just be wishful thinking on Cahill’s part.
More News From The Paris Air Show 2025
There was plenty of other news on the first day of the Paris Air Show on Monday, including:
- Riyadh Air ordered 25 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft with options for 25 more in a major blow to Boeing and its 777X program.
- Poland’s LOT Airlines made its first-ever Airbus order for A220 single-aisle aircraft, snubbing Brazil’s Embraer.
- The event was marred in controversy after local officials ordered Israeli defense company stands to be shuttered.
US aerospace giant Boeing is still taking part in the air show but is taking a back seat following the crash of Air India flight AI171 on June 12 – the first loss of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which tragically killed 241 of the 242 passengers and crew onboard, as well as dozens more people on the ground.
Matt’s take
Banning Cahill for what I would consider a minor breach of the airline’s contract of carriage was a pretty big own goal for Qatar Airways, and unnecessarily whipped up a media storm over a non-issue.
Whether or not you agree with Cahill’s review of Qatar Airways, he has the right to post his personal opinion of an airline experience, and the allegations that the airline offered him a free flight in exchange for deleting the review is a really bad look for Qatar Airways.
I’m not surprised by Qatar’s reaction/ban/bribe attempt.
Qsuites are best or close to best in class business product but not worth the way Qatar Air treats it’s customers. My wife, toddler, and I recently booked a flight with a 2 hour layover in Doha. A month after booking they changed the flight to a 9 hour Overnight layover. We asked for the complimentary hotel room they offer for layovers over 8 hours but they said no because there was 1 seat available on a connection with a shorter layover (same original flight departure time) and another ticket available with a 2am departure time that also had a shorter layover. So they wanted my family to fly on two different flights so they wouldn’t have to give us a hotel room which would be a nightmare with a toddler (or relaxing for the parent flying solo). Now I know it’s Qatar air comfort isn’t worth their disregard for your family or time.
I dropped this guy’s vlog like a bad habit (Real name isn’t Josh Cahill so he must dislike being German…says the guy originally from Munich) after his glowing reviews of all things related to Iran and its airtravel. A dickwad, as vlogger Dennis Bunnik might say.
VERY SURPRISED OF THE WAY QATAR AIRWAYS RESPONDED NOT VERY PROFESSONAL. MIGHT TELL HRH TAMIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.
I stopped watching his reviews because hes uses highly inflammatory words for such trivial things. It would be different if he had a posted standard, as you can see bias in some reviews.
Free speech and all that, but trivial complaints has probably led to cabin crew being disciplined.