Akbar Al Baker has attacked the International Air Transport Association over its lack of transparency.
Speaking at IATA’s annual general meeting in Singapore, the Qatar Airways CEO questioned why James Hogan, CEO of rival airline Etihad, had been nominated onto IATA’s board as a middle eastern representative.
The nomination was a surprise, which Al Baker said should not have been allowed: “Such issues must be transparent.”
If geographical representation is the basis of the composition of the board, he said, “the regional airlines involved should be informed in advance of their regional allotments so that they can coordinate who should represent them.”
Al Baker also questioned the aviation body’s finances – highlighting $18 million spent on travel, he called on IATA to justify “such large sums spent on travel”.
He also said IATA should look at how contracts were awarded, after $58 million was spent on data processing and IT plus $29 million on outsourcing nd consultancy.
Other airlines joined Qatar’s calls for change: Emirates requested greater dialogue, while International Airlines Group sought clarity on the entire voting process of board members.