Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al Baker – known for his controversial opinions – is back in the headlines after he gave The Times an interview where he gave British Airways a rating of 2/10, comparing it to a low cost carrier.
In the past Mr. Al Baker was a vocal critic when it comes to the competition, especially the U.S. and European carriers that were constantly lobbying against the ME3 in their home markets.
Now in a setting where he as asked to comment on the international aviation market and his competitors Al Baker didn’t have very high regard for British Airways, a carrier (group) that Qatar owns 25% of.
You can access The Times article here (only accessible with subscription).
Many airline bosses are smoothies — global diplomats with pocket squares, silky language and effortless charm. Akbar Al Baker, who runs Qatar Airways, is not like many airline bosses.
In the course of just 45 minutes from his boardroom in Doha, he dismisses British Airways as a “two out of ten” carrier; accuses Dubai of becoming a Covid-19 superspreader and lambasts arch-rival Emirates as a gas-guzzling dinosaur; says any airline that offers premium economy is ripping off its customers;
He also warns that “the good times” for airline passengers are a thing of the past.
On the topic of British Airways Airways Al Baker appeared especially disappointed with former CEO Alex Cruz who had cut back on too many perks and transformed the airline into a quasi low cost carrier.
The reporter asked him how many marks out of ten he would give BA and his reply was prompt: “Two. They have lost their focus!”
“British Airways is the flag carrier of the UK. You remember the motto? ‘To fly, to serve’. That was not any more the motto of the company. It was only on a billboard.”
He did express optimism about BA’s future under their new CEO Mr. Doyle, saying “He’s a very good leader. He has my confidence!” Al Baker is however extremely critical of Doyle’s decision to push further into the Premium Economy market segment.
Al Baker has in the past talked about U.S. carriers as being “crap” and that they’d hire/keep grandmothers as flight attendants.
He did later apologize for framing it that way though.
Conclusion
Akbar al Baker, commonly known as “His Excellency” is always very outspoken, especially when it comes to issues he truly cares about. There are definitely no words minced but that makes him a straight shooter and is certainly right on the money here when it comes to British Airways performance. Especially while it was under the reign of Alex “Penny Pincher” Cruz.
I believe that despite all the flak he gets for his straight talk he’s one of the very few visionary CEO’s in the industry who isn’t just there for the money. He’s become an extension of the Qatar Airways brand and people associate his persona directly with the airline, for better or for worse. How many carriers can say that?
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Love this guy. He says things like they are unlike many of his peers
He is the best! Great commentary and a great airline!
He’s 100% correct about BA, they have long behaved like a budget airline with all their little fees for everything and the lack of consideration for their loyal customers; frankly it would delight me to see BA go bankrupt, they’d be absolutely no loss!
Do you think someone paid him for his overly generous evaluation?
No.
As a formerly very frequent international flyer I can only applaud his forthright honesty and correctness. American Airlines are generally crap, most treating people as animals, and the worst international airline experiences have all been with British Airways to whom humans appear like an unnecessary nuisance. My only criticism of his commentary is that I think he over marked BA!
It is true Walsh and his personal pick Cruz flew British Airways into the ground but it was already a CRAP outfit – they delighted in making it CRAPPIER.
Who knows about the new CEO – he’s from a BA’s parent company subsidiary and no doubt it’s 99.99% certain he is just another Walsh poodle and cannot make any decisions that will improve the passengers experience or value for money.
It is time BA was wound up. In fact it is well overdue. There is zero intention of putting the customer first and never will be.
If you look at Wikipedia Walsh, Cruz and Doyle describe themselves as “Business men”. Frankly ALL business men should feel offended by this.
These three are NOT business men: they are the exact opposite of true, professional business men who run and grow companies in tandem with a win win policy with their customers and employees.
Where in BA’s recent history has anything even remotely like that ever been evident?
British Airways and it’s CEOs, directors and senior management are an embarrassment. This is a company that treats customers as a necessary nuisance – the majority of which are British taxpayers – the very people who are providing billions of pounds in bailouts and low cost loans that never get repaid.
Business men? Not even close!
His Excellency A. A. Baker is a highly respected aviator and straight talker but his 2 out of 10 rating of British Airways is over generous – and of course he knows it.
You can guess which way I would rate this squalid excuse for an airline – and IT’S NOT 1 out of 10! :))
I only regret that I have to go so easy on them…
It is great to hear a leader of an airline who owns a significant stake in BA saying they screwed up. With Walsh and Cruz in charge there was no hope. Qatar are the best airline I fly with – their hard and soft product truly makes flying a pleasure. BA always underwhelm. Recently BA have never even understand basic customer service and seemed to benchmark themselves on the lack of service and arrogance of Ryanair.
I wish I could disagree with the assessment of BA but the airline has gone from world class to a huge embarrassment. What puzzles me is that since Qatar owns 25% of IAG, they presumably would have the ability to force a reversal of course years ago.
I wish I could disagree with the assessment of BA but the airline has gone from world class to a huge embarrassment. What puzzles me is that since Qatar owns 25% of IAG, they presumably would have the ability to force a reversal of course years ago.
Well as always AAB ‘hits the nail on the head’ perfectly.
Under ‘The Scud’ (that’s a technically poor and much inferior Iraqi missile to a Cruise — gettit???), BA really lost the plot!!
That guy was previously with VUELING, so that’s where he has ‘cut his teeth’, and should never have been let loose anywhere near a national flag carrier, and an airline with tremendous history.
Also being Spanish, like most of the Board of Directors of IAG (the Holding Company of BA etc), and this is no insult to their abilities to act as Directors of s multi billion company, but they are NOT British and therefore have no idea or feeling nor sentiment as to what BA, and prior to that, BOAC (also BEA) had/has for British people in general, so it has been lost and sadly lost forever.
They were pioneers, i.e. the first seaplanes routes to the Middle East and Asian Sub-Continent, the first operators of any jet aircraft worldwide, they were innovators of supersonic travel etc etc etc etc
And what are they now?
After many years of this idiot fool Cruz ! BA have been reduced to a level hardly one step above EASYJET.
He should be jailed for the damage he did to the reputation and iconic name of BA.
Returning to AAB’s 2/10 remark, I believe he is merely giving Mr Doyle ‘a gentle squeeze of his cojones’ to smarten up BA’s act (after The Scud’s demolition job), as they are very large shareholders and really only want the best for BA.
As for my regard for AAB, he simply runs the best airline in the world and I am proud to say I have supported and flown with QR since nearly 20 years and indeed reached priority status with them.
Regarding his previous remarks on US Airline cabin crews, well we all know that what he said was the truth, but unfortunately these days with all the PC nonsense around, which worsens daily, he should have been a little more eloquent in his choice of words, but he is from the Middle East and there, they can say (and do) exactly what they wish or want, without any fear whatsoever of retribution.
Wow – lots of tears in the comments.
Show me on the dolly where the nasty airline touched you…
Bet you’ve been using that infintile phrase for years at every opportunity.
Just a shade lower than moronic – but only a shade.
Silly little man
I think you’ll find the word is “infantile”.
Ignorant little person.
The open way to go to things of open politically things of a great option to past foods happen in the older past of things of things before older things resolve in general terms of things.
Hmm. I couldn’t have said it any better — or worse! (Whatever it is you are saying)!
Is anyone actually surprised that the head of a great airline might call out BA for being a second rate low cost carrier?
Does anyone actually disagree?
Thought not. He’s right. He may be indelicate but he’s right.