Akbar Al Baker, the outspoken chief executive officer who led Qatar Airways for almost three decades, plans to step down later this year, according to people familiar with the matter.
The CEO told staff in a memo he will leave in November, the people said, seeking anonymity because the move hasn’t been announced. His last day will be Nov. 5, aviation consultant Alex Macheras posted earlier on X.
A Qatar Airways official had no immediate comment.
Al Baker built Qatar Airways into a long-distance powerhouse challenging Gulf rival Emirates. His devotion to delivering a premium experience won plaudits from customers but led to clashes with manufacturers Airbus SE and Boeing Co.
Most recently, Al Baker went to court with Airbus over an issue with flaking paint on widebody A350 jets. The matter was settled earlier this year.
He also courted controversy with comments at a 2018 event that a woman could not do his job “because it is a very challenging position.”
The CEO’s retirement has been anticipated for several years but he has always said he would step down when he was asked to.
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