Without Akbar Al Baker, aviation will be different

You have airline leaders who mind the store. And you have airline LEADERS who leave a lasting impression, a real legacy. Men like Juan Trippe, Robert Crandall, Herb Kelleher, Sir Tim Clark, and – I dare to say – Michael O’Leary. It’s in this category that I file Akbar Al Baker too, the Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways who will step down on November 5 for reasons not fully clear. There will have been a sigh of relief in some OEM boardrooms when the news of Al Baker stepping down broke this afternoon. Because those who have done business with him over the past 27 years know all too well how relentless, demanding, unforgiving, and sometimes rude the little man with the bold head could be. Ask Airbus, ask Boeing, ask Pratt & Whitney. But these same people and their predecessors will also applaud Al Baker for his stubbornness, vision, and courage to bring Qatar Airways where it is now today. Not for himself, but for his country. At the helm for 27 years Born in Mumbai 61 years ago, Akbar Al Baker has been at the helm as CEO of Qatar Airways since 1997, three years after it was launched. Back then, it was still owned fifty percent by the state and fifty percent by private shareholders. Qatar Airways saw unprecedented growth of on average 35 percent each year between 2000 and 2008. By 2017, the airline’s fleet had grown to 194, up from four aircraft in its first year. By the end of the financial year 2020-2023, the fleet counted 265. According to Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker “has been instrumental in turning Qatar Airways into an award-winning carrier and the best in the world. Under Mr. Al Baker’s stewardship, Qatar Airways has matured into a leading force in regional and global aviation, earning many admirers around the world for its excellent standards of service.” Quote unquote from a 2017 media release, when Qatar Airways had just been nominated Airline of the Year by Skytrax again after 2011, 2012, and 2015. It would get more recognition in 2019 and 2020. His unrivaled eye for detail and quality not only made Qatar Airways a five-star airline but also made the Qatari state invest in Hamad International Airport, which has set new standards in airport experience. It made Doha into a global hub, but this function suffered badly when Qatar’s neighbors imposed sanctions on the country between June 2017 and January 2021. Covid dealt another blow, although Qatar Airways kept its fleet flying as much as possible and became the most active long-haul carrier in the world. ‘U-turn Ali’ Al Baker also pushed for getting the best and most efficient aircraft, becoming one of the launch customers of the Boeing 777X in 2013 and the 777-8F in early 2022, while introducing the Airbus A380 in October 2014 and the A350 in January 2015. But as mentioned, Al Baker’s relationship with the aircraft OEMs hasn’t always been a smooth ride. His backtracking of previous decisions earned Al Baker the nickname ‘U-turn Al’, with the most famous being his decision to cancel an order for fifty Airbus A320neo’s with Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofans that was placed in 2009. Qatar Airways was supposed to become the launch operator of the engine in late 2015, but following numerous reliability issues of the new powerplant, the airline boss lost patience and took the bold decision to cancel the deal altogether. It was not the first time Al Baker had issues with P&W, criticizing the engine maker and Bombardier’s CSeries when he was trying to negotiate a better deal for the A320neo’s in 2009. Happy faces at the delivery of the first Airbus A350-1000 in February 2018. Left then-CEO Fabrice Bregier, Al Baker, and Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East. Relations with Airbus have been strained in the years preceding and after this event. (Airbus) His relationship with Airbus has been tense for more than a decade, culminating in various well-publicized spats. He slammed the airframer at the 2009 Dubai Airshow and walked away at the last minute from what would have been an order for A320neo’s, accusing Airbus of “not knowing how to build aircraft.” It was seen as negotiating via the media, scuffed Airbus sales chief John Leahy. The introduction of the A380 in 2014 was delayed numerous times after Al Baker refused to take delivery of the first aircraft as the paint quality and the interior were not conforming to his strict specifications. The situation got very public after Al Baker voiced his criticism of Airbus at the Farnborough Airshow, where he demanded compensation from Airbus. Three months later, things had settled down and Al Baker was even discussing an A380 follow-on order with some media. Things got really ugly in 2021 when Qatari aviation authorities demanded that Qatar Airways ground a number of A350s over a paint quality issue that was portrayed as a safety issue. Al Baker’s role in the grounding is not clear to this day and was subject to an imminent court order to invite him for a hearing session in the London High Court to clarify his involvement. That’s how high tensions had gone, with Airbus and Qatar Airways engaging in a legal tit-for-tat that included Airbus’ unilateral decision to cancel an order for fifty A321neo’s, followed by the cancelation of 23 A350-1000s from the backlog after Al Baker refused earlier to take delivery of four finished aircraft. The dispute ended this February with an unexpected “amicable and mutually agreeable settlement”, followed by the reinstatement of the two Airbus orders. The harsh accusations from Al Baker, especially during an event with aviation journalists in November 2021, had been forgotten. So had his critical remarks in the past decade on Boeing after the US airframer was late with the 787. Or after Al Baker backtracked on a 777 order in Farnborough 2010, minutes after the press release had just been issued. He noted the “strong relationship with Boeing” at the signing ceremony of the 777-8F and MAX 10 MoU in January 2022. In July of that same year, Al Baker kept remarkably silent when the MAX order was confirmed, walking in and out of the signing ceremony without almost saying a word. Airline stakes Akbar Al Baker’s influence has gone further than just Qatar Airways. His airline took minority shares in International Airlines Group (25.1 percent), LATAM (10 percent), Cathay Pacific (9,99 percent), and China Southern Airlines (3,38 percent). Al Baker also brought Qatar Airways into the Oneworld Alliance in 2012, of which he became Chairman of the Governing Board nine years later. But in 2015, Al Baker threatened to quit the alliance again after tensions were mounting between American Airlines and the Gulf carrier over state subsidies. Not all his initiatives have been successful. The 49-percent investment in Air Italy in 2016 did bring Qatar Airways hardly anything and the Sardinian carrier was dissolved after a few years. Attempts to acquire a share of IndiGo were blocked by the Indian government in 2016 and Qatar did not try again. More recently, Qatar Airways has focused on Africa and has expanded its network thanks to the codeshare with RwandAir. Life Time Achievement Award Outspoken, Akbar Al Baker has been loved by some media and loathed by others. His sometimes discriminatory remarks, especially of women, haven’t helped his reputation or that of his country. Yet, last month Al Baker was awarded the APEX Life Time Achievement Award at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) in Long Beach. Akbar Al Baker received the APEX Life Time Achievement Award in September. (Qatar Airways) He was hailed by APEX CEO Joe Leader as “a true pioneer in aviation. H.E. Mr. Al Baker's leadership at Qatar Airways embodies the spirit of innovation, marrying the grandeur of Qatari tradition with an unyielding commitment to passenger excellence. Whether it is the trailblazing Qsuite experience, an exceptional in-flight entertainment library, or the airline's unwavering focus on health during unprecedented times, his legacy paints a mosaic of dedication, foresight, and a relentless drive for perfection.” When accepting the award, Al Baker thanked the employees of his airline for their dedication. One day after the announcement that he was replaced as chairman of the Qatar Tourism Board, Qatar Airways announced on Monday that Akbar Al Baker is stepping down as Group CEO from November 5. He will be succeeded by Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, who has been the Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport since June 2014. If his succession is forced isn’t known, but the departure of Al Baker will mark the end of a remarkable era for Qatar Airways and commercial aviation in general. The industry will not be the same again without him.

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