Transportation

Qatar Airways’ Longstanding CEO Al Baker to Step Down

CEO built airline into a leader among premium carriers
Doha airport executive Al Meer to take over from Nov. 5

Akbar Al Baker
Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg

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By Charlotte Ryan, Siddharth Philip, and Layan Odeh

October 23, 2023 at 12:44 PM UTC

Updated on

October 23, 2023 at 4:12 PM UTC

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Akbar Al Baker, the outspoken chief executive officer who built Qatar Airways into one of the world’s premier airlines, plans to step down in November after more than a quarter century in the role.

The 61-year-old CEO will be replaced by Badr Mohammed Al Meer, chief operating officer of Doha Hamad International Airport, as of Nov. 5, the state-owned airline said on its website Monday. The changes were first reported by aviation consultant Alex Macheras on social-media site X.