New role for Qatar Airways Chief

[killick]

Newspapers in Qatar report that Mr Akbar Al Baker has been appointed Chairman of a new company that brings together Qatar Airways, Qatar National Hotels and Qatar Tourism Authority. Makes sense from a business perspective, but I suspect there will be one or two nervous hoteliers right now!

[newswatcher]

From "The Peninsula"(9/6):

"The management of Qatar National Hotels Company (QNHC), which owns some of the major hotels in the country, was taken over by Qatar Airways on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the national carrier confirmed yesterday that Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, would be the Chairman of a new outfit, the Qatar Tourism and Aviation Company, which will bring together Qatar Airways, QNHC and Qatar Leisure and Tourism Development Company.

The state-owned QNHC owns Sheraton Doha Hotel and Resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha Marriott Gulf Hotel, two Movenpick properties and Doha Limousine Company.

The airline recently acquired Qatar Leisure and Tourism Development Company which owns the country’s only theme park, Aladdin’s Kingdom.

Agencies yesterday quoted Akbar Al Baker as saying that the move comes as part of efforts to boost tourism in the country. By taking over most of the five-star properties, the airline expects to be in a better position to provide tourism packages. "


and in another story........

"Qatar Airways hopes to significantly boost its cargo operations, having taken delivery of its first dedicated freighter and considerably expanded the capacity of the cargo terminal at Doha International Airport.

An A300-600R passenger aircraft has been converted to a freighter at Elbe Flugzeugweke Gmbh (EADS EFW) in Dresden, Germany.

“At a cost of $10 million conversion works were completed in good time. The freighter was delivered to Qatar Airways twenty days ahead of schedule”, said the airline’s CEO Akbar Al Baker, during a media tour of the new facilities yesterday.

Abdul Aziz Al Noaimi, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, accompanied the CEO during the tour. Akbar said, “With the acquisition of this freighter as the first step, the company is ready to generate additional business”.

He added that the airline is also planning to buy two more dedicated freighters over the next couple of years.

The freighter has a payload of 42 tonnes, which will boost the airline’s business relations with shippers and forwarders and establish Doha as a regional cargo hub, he added.

Akbar said that the company is set to achieve cargo growth rates in the coming year of around 35 per cent. “Along with the new freighter, the new cargo terminal expansion will offer cargo capacity of 180,000 tonnes”.

He stressed that the addition of this freighter along with the expansion in the cargo terminal underline the consistent evolvement of Qatar Airways as a major Middle East airline.

He said, “The new freighter will provide more capacity to carry cargo to Europe and South West Asia and the ability to offer a better premier class service”.

Earlier in the day, the CEO inaugurated the airline’s annual conference at InterContinental Hotel."

[kenoco]

What a lovely,friendly,caring person to have in charge of a hospitality company,oh my God.

[Goldstone]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke!!!!

[homesick rae]

Yep now he'll have his own CentCom set up so he can keep an even closer eye and his crew TRYING to enjoy themselves.

Unbelieveable!

[3000psi]

"The management of Qatar National Hotels Company (QNHC), which owns some of the major hotels in the country, was taken over by Qatar Airways on Saturday.
that make sense....he is best known as ;
"Ali snack-bar the baker ".....
he's got his fingers in the pie big time now !!!

God bless him.....

[DesertDiver]

Killick,

It might make business sense in the short term but which private investor is going to want to build a Hotel or launch a tourism company when he/she is completing with what is effectively a monopoly? If the sector is going to grow private investment is required, even in Qatar. What are the other airlines going to do? Doha is going to become a less and less attractive destination for them, thereby leading to a potential reduction in available flights, if people can't get to Doha what is the point of promoting tourism/conferences etc?

Short term cash flow management without considering the long term implications I think.