Qatar Airways CEO: U.S. 'fueling' the fire of Gulf crisis

Akbar Al Baker told CNN's Emerging Markets Editor John Defterios that the decision by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other states to severe diplomatic and transport links with Qatar amounted to an "illegal" blockade that the U.S. should be doing its best to resolve.

President Trump has endorsed the decision of Gulf nations to ostracize Qatar, even as U.S. Cabinet officials have said it is hurting the campaign against ISIS.

"I don't want to comment about Trump," Al Baker said in an interview in Doha. "I am extremely disappointed."

"[The U.S.] should be the leader trying to break this blockade and not sitting and watching what's going on and putting fuel on [the] fire."

Qatar Airways has been hit hard by the dispute, with 18 destinations now out of bounds for the airline. Qatar has been accused by Saudi Arabia and the UAE of supporting terrorism, claims that the tiny state has rejected in the strongest terms.

In addition to closing their airspace to Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also shut down the airline's offices.

"It is actually a travesty of civilized behavior to close airline offices. Airlines offices are not political arms," said Al Baker. "We were sealed as if it was a criminal organization. We were not allowed to give refunds to our passengers."

He accused the Gulf countries of violating a 1944 convention that the UAE and Bahrain have signed.

Any country party to the convention should grant freedoms including "the privilege to fly across its territory without landing," according to the International Civil Aviation Organization, an agency of the United Nations which administers the Chicago convention.

"We have legal channels to object to this," Al Baker said. "ICAO... should heavily get involved, put their weight behind this to declare this an illegal act."