Akbar Al Baker An up to 100-aeroplane order with Boeing worth $18.6bn, a joint business agreement with British Airways, Qatar Airways’ first financial results and deals for 49 per cent and 10 per cent stakes in troubled Italian airline Meridiana and LATAM Airlines respectively were just some of the reasons Al Baker was in the news over the… An up to 100-aeroplane order with Boeing worth $18.6bn, a joint business agreement with British Airways, Qatar Airways’ first financial results and deals for 49 per cent and 10 per cent stakes in troubled Italian airline Meridiana and LATAM Airlines respectively were just some of the reasons Al Baker was in the news over the last 12 months. The Qatar Airways CEO also did not turn away from his usual controversy either, repeatedly warning the airline would walk away from an order for up to 80 A320 neos due to concerns over their Pratt & Whitney engines before announcing plans in January to switch to A321s. He also found time to criticise US rival Delta after it said it would not renew its sponsorship of a stadium in Atlanta that hosted a Qatar Airways launch party. “This shows that they have absolute disregard for the famous institutions of Atlanta,” he was quoted as saying. CEO, Qatar Airways Origin:Qatar Residence:Qatar Sector:Aviation