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Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar Airways (QA) Group Chief Executive Akbar al Baker held the first press conference as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, a day very relevant to Qatar as it marks the first anniversary of the illegal blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The Board of Governors is the highest governance body in IATA; it provides strategic guidance for the airline industry as a whole and is entrusted with overseeing the activities of IATA.
Speaking at the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) Baker said,"I am delighted to be here in Sydney and honoured to be leading the IATA Board of Governors as Chairman for the year ahead. To be nominated to such a prestigious leadership position in the industry is a great honour, made all the more pertinent in a year in which Qatar Airways itself was faced with an illegal blockade, closing off international air space in our own region.
"I look forward to continuing my work in the coming year for a transparent and fair aviation industry the world over, a sector which will only continue to grow in the years ahead and one in which I am most proud to work and represent the World's Best Airline."
Baker also attended a signing ceremony alongside IATA Director-General Alexandre de Juniac in which IATA and Qatar Airways entered into training partnership agreement, accrediting Qatar Airways as an IATA Regional Training Centre.
The training centre will support the development of aviation professionals in the region with locally provided training programmes in the fields of international aviation, cargo and travel and tourism.
The partnership will also introduce the IATA-UNIGE Leadership & Management Training Programme in collaboration with the University of Geneva. IATA's training partnership with Qatar Airways falls within a shared vision of reaching out to the next generation of leaders in the aviation industry.
Baker was nominated as chairman of the Board at the IATA AGM in Canc??n in 2017 and will hold the position until the next IATA AGM in June 2019.
Election to the position is a recognition of the leadership role that Baker has played in a dynamic and highly-competitive industry and comes after serving on the IATA board itself since 2012.
Baker succeeds the outgoing IATA Board of Governors Chairman Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines. One of the most recognisable figures in the aviation industry, Baker's vision and commitment have enabled the development of Qatar Airways from a small regional carrier into a major global airline in a span of just 20 years. Under his leadership, Qatar Airways has become one of the world's most highly-respected airlines.
