His Excellency Akbar Al Baker

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, is one of the most recognisable figures in the global aviation industry.

Mr. Akbar Al Baker has been instrumental in shaping the development of Qatar Airways into one of the fastest growing and most highly acclaimed airlines in the world – named ‘Airline of the Year’ in 2017, 2015, 2012 and 2011 by global industry body Skytrax.

Mr. Al Baker has spearheaded the growth of Qatar Airways, which operated only four aircraft in a regional capacity prior to his appointment. Qatar Airways currently flies over 200 aircraft to more than 160 destinations across six continents.

In August 2017, H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker, was announced as the Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the prestigious global aviation industry body International Air Transport Association (IATA), coming in to effect June 2018. In November 2017 he was proudly named ‘Aviation Executive of the Year’ by CAPA Centre for Aviation in recognition of his global influence and visionary approach to the airline industry. H.E. Mr. Al Baker is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) and is a non-executive Director of Heathrow Airport Holdings (HAH) – the company responsible for the running and development of the UK’s largest airport. In June 2015 the President of the Republic of France, François Hollande, presented H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker with the Legion of Honour in recognition of his leadership in the aviation industry.

A highly motivated individual, Mr. Al Baker has been a successful businessman in Doha for more than 25 years, holds a private pilot license, and is also CEO of several divisions of Qatar’s national airline – these being Qatar Executive, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Aviation Services, Qatar Aircraft Catering Company, Qatar Distribution Company, Qatar Duty Free and Internal Media Services to name a few.

Born in Doha, he is a graduate in Economics and Commerce and worked at various levels in the Civil Aviation Directorate before becoming Qatar Airways’ Group Chief Executive in 1997.