Emirates chief commercial officer Thierry Antinori resigns

A senior executive at Dubai-based Emirates has resigned, it was revealed on Sunday.

Thierry Antinori, the executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Emirates, resigned from his role with immediate effect, the airline confirmed.

Adnan Kazim, divisional senior vice president, Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimisation and Aeropolitical Affairs has been appointed as the acting CCO.

Antinori joined Emirates in October 2011 as executive vice president for Passenger Sales Worldwide.

In June 2013, he was promoted to the role of the CCO, where he was responsible for commercial operations and products, Emirates Skywards and Emirates Skycargo.

He previously worked with Lufthansa and Air France.

Dubai-based Emirates airline has been hit hard by higher oil prices and strong currency volatility and last week reported a 69 per cent drop in full-year profit for the fiscal year 2018-2019.

The airline made a net profit of Dhs871m ($237m) in the year to March 31, compared with Dhs2.8bn in the previous year. Revenues during the 2018-2019 fiscal year increased by 6 per cent to Dhs97.9bn ($26.7bn).

Total operating costs increased by 8 per cent over the 2017-18 financial year, with the average price of jet fuel climbing by a further 22 per cent during the period after last year’s 15 per cent increase.

With the airline boosting capacity by 3 per cent, its fuel bill increased “substantially by 25 per cent” over last year to Dhs30.8bn.

“This is the biggest-ever fuel bill for the airline, accounting for 32 per cent of operating costs,” it said.

Read more: Emirates reports 69% profit drop as high oil prices, strong dollar hit earnings