DOHA: The 57th Annual General Meeting of AACO has paid tributes to Akbar Al Baker, advisor to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, who lead Qatar Airways as its Chief Executive Officer from 1997 till 2023.
During his tenure at Qatar Airways, Al Baker was first elected member of the AACO Executive Committee in 2011 and served on the Committee until 2023. He was elected Chairman of the Executive Committee in 2013 for three years. Qatar Airways had hosted AACO’s AGMs in 2001, 2013, and 2021, where Al Baker chaired those AGMs. During all that time, he played a pivotal and inspiring role in strengthening and supporting AACO’s work and the aviation industry as whole.
On this occasion, Eng. Samer Majali, vice chairman / board designee CEO of Royal Jordanian, and the Chairman of AACO 57th AGM, highlighted the prominent role of Al-Baker during his tenure in chairing AACO’s General Assembly and its Executive Committee, where he contributed to achieving great accomplishments and consolidating the values of cooperation and development.
Eng. Ibrahim A. Al-Omar, director general of Saudia, and the chairman of AACO Executive Committee, said, “I would like to express, on behalf of the members of the executive committee and in my own name, our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our dear brother, Akbar Al-Baker, for his contributions throughout his career, which have had a significant impact on the development of the aviation sector. Our dear brother, Abu Mohammed, is a practical individual who has built an airline over three decades that has become one of the largest in the world. Personally, I have gained a dear friend and a generous brother. I pray to God, the Almighty, to grant him and his family continued health and wellness, wishing him ongoing success and prosperity”.
For his part, Abdul Wahab Teffaha, AACO secretary general, expressed his gratitude to Akbar Al-Baker, highlighting his appreciation for the efforts he has made to support the Arab Air Carriers’ Organization and his dedication to defending the interests of its members in various international forums, through his membership in the IATA Board of Governors and the IATA Chair Committee, as well as chairing both of them.
