Talk about a major evolution…
Akbar Al Baker named oneworld chairman
The governing board of the oneworld alliance has just appointed Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker as chairman. Al Baker succeeds Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who served in the role since September 2018. Al Baker will now oversee the alliance’s governance, and work closely with oneworld CEO Rob Gurney.
59-year-old Al Baker has been CEO of Qatar Airways since 1997, making him the longest serving CEO of any oneworld airline.
Here’s what Al Baker had to say about his new role:
“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.”
Qatar Airways’ CEO is now the oneworld chairman
Why this is a significant development
Qatar Airways joined the oneworld alliance in 2013, which was a pretty significant development, as the Doha-based airline was the only one of the “big three” Gulf carriers to join a global airline alliance.
However, from 2015 to 2019, Al Baker consistently threatened to have his airline leave the oneworld alliance:
- Al Baker wasn’t happy about the way that Qatar Airways was being treated by partners; for example, American Airlines (and other major carriers in the USA) were running a smear campaign against Gulf carriers
- At the same time, realistically I didn’t think Qatar Airways would leave oneworld, especially given Qatar Airways’ ownership stake in IAG (the parent company of British Airways and Iberia)
For example, here’s what Al Baker said about oneworld in early 2019:
“About oneworld, it was not a rumor, you heard it from me. And we have…