SINGAPORE, 20 March 2024: Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer Engr Badr Mohammed Al-Meer revealed major new developments in line with his vision for the airline’s future in an exclusive interview with CNBC.
In his first interview since taking over the top job last November, he confirmed the airline will introduce new first-class cabins in some of its aircraft. Currently, only the A380 has a first-class cabin catering to just eight passengers.
The far-ranging interview touched on the overall positive outlook for the Group as Engr Al-Meer detailed his approach to developing a high-yielding concept for Qatar Airways’ new first-class cabin.
“Based on the demand from certain sectors, we see a high demand for first class, and as such, we have decided to introduce a newly designed first class cabin unique to Qatar Airways. We are combining the experience of flying commercial and executive jets to develop something new. We are 70 to 80% ready and are only finalising colours. We are hoping to announce it soon.”
He also revealed Qatar Airways’ redesign of its premium Qsuite, which will debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2024.
Qatar Airways GCEO also stated that the competitive aviation landscape in the GCC region is helping raise the bar when it comes to customer experience. He stated that potential rivals are under pressure, and he welcomes any challenge for Qatar Airways. He remains confident that Qatar Airways will continue to hold onto its market-leading position.
Qatar Airways will launch several new destinations this summer, bringing its total destinations to over 170. Upcoming destinations include Hamburg, Lisbon, Tashkent, and Venice. Qatar Airways will also resume several summer seasonal routes, including Adana, Antalya, Bodrum, Marrakesh, Mykonos, Sarajevo, and Trabzon.
He was appointed Group CEO in November 2023, and he immediately focused on introducing innovative programmes to benefit both passengers and the airline’s global 60,000-strong workforce. His first message to employees stressed the importance of cultivating trust and empowerment in the work culture. Under his leadership, various workplace initiatives have been successfully introduced that continue to improve employee satisfaction.
