Qatar Airways Group’s Chief Executive H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker Named oneworld Governing Board Chair
- Joe Breitfeller
- May 20, 2021
- 3 min read
The oneworld® global alliance has named Qatar Airways Group’s Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, as Governing Board Chairman. He will succeed Qantas Group’s CEO, Alan Joyce, who has served in the role since September 2018.
On Thursday (May 20, 2021), oneworld® announced that Qatar Airways Group’s Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker has been appointed as Governing Board Chairman. He will succeed Qantas Group’s CEO Alan Joyce, who has served in the role since September 2018. As Chairman of the Governing Board, H.E. Mr. Al Baker will oversee the alliance’s governance, chair meetings and work closely with oneworld CEO Rob Gurney and the management team. H.E. Mr. Al Baker has led Qatar Airways since its 1997 launch and is currently the longest-serving CEO of a oneworld member airline. Under his leadership, Qatar Airways has grown into one of the world’s most respected and highly-awarded airlines, with an extensive global network and plans to serve over 140 destinations by July 2021. Qatar Airways became a oneworld member in October 2013.
In Thursday’s announcement, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said,
“I am honoured to have been chosen by my fellow board members to head the oneworld alliance Governing Board at a time when the industry is facing its biggest challenge. To represent and lead the oneworld alliance is a tremendous privilege, and I am grateful for the opportunity to represent an alliance that has played a pivotal role in maintaining global connectivity to support the transportation of essential workers, medical equipment and aid supplies throughout the pandemic.
“I look forward to serving as Chairman of the Governing Board and working with our alliance partners, oneworld CEO Rob Gurney and the oneworld team to provide more global connectivity, a seamless travel experience and more valuable loyalty offerings for our passengers.”
His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker is an influential figure in the global aviation industry. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of IATA from June 2018 through June 2019 and has served on the IATA Board since 2012. H.E. Mr. Al Baker is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Arab Air Carriers Organization and non-executive director of Heathrow Airport Holdings. Additionally, he serves as Secretary General of the Qatar National Tourism Council.
Also commenting on the appointment, Qantas Group’s CEO, Alan Joyce, said,
“As a founding member of oneworld, it has been an honour to serve as the Chairman of the alliance. Akbar is well placed to guide oneworld on its ongoing transformation and we look forward to working with him and member airlines to deliver even more value to oneworld customers.”
oneworld CEO Rob Gurney, added:
“On behalf of the alliance, we want to thank Mr. Joyce for his leadership of oneworld, including during a challenging period for the industry. Since Qatar Airways joined oneworld in 2013, it has been a leading contributor to the alliance, and we are honoured to have His Excellency Mr. Al Baker serve as our next Governing Board Chairman. We look forward to working with him to further strengthen and grow the alliance, as we position oneworld for an industry recovery.”
oneworld brings together 14 world class airlines including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines, as well as over 20 of their affiliates and Fiji Airways, a oneworld connect partner.
Source: oneworld