Thierry Antinori, The Smart Man Quietly Running Qatar Airways (As I See It)

I tend to think that all too often, attention in the airline industry goes to the executives who talk the loudest, rather than those who actually do the most. While I’ve written about the airline CEOs I respect the most, in this post I’d like to talk a bit about someone who might not have the title of CEO, but who might as well be, as I don’t think he gets enough credit…

What’s going on with Qatar Airways’ CEO situation?

It has been a rather unusual few years when it comes to senior leadership at Qatar Airways. In late 2023, longtime CEO Akbar Al Baker suddenly left, after leading the airline for 27 years. Al Baker really turned the airline into what it is today — he was a larger than life figure, and the airline was his life. While he was rather controversial (to put it politely), there’s simply no denying that he’s an incredibly smart and passionate guy.

At that point he was replaced by Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, who seemed like a much gentler and calmer man, who smoothed over relations with aircraft manufacturers, employees, etc. He’d reportedly spend his weekends roaming the airport and helping passengers, and was an all-around nice guy. Bizarrely, he was only in his position for around two years, until late 2025, when he suddenly left, and was replaced by Hamad Ali Al‑Khater.

I have no clue what drama was going on in the background that caused there to be three CEOs in under three years. It goes without saying that being CEO of Qatar Airways is a job reserved for Qatari nationals, and I imagine it requires being in the good graces of the Royal Family.

What’s strange (at least to me) is that both Al-Meer and Al-Khater basically had the same background — they were both Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport, and then they became CEO of Qatar Airways, one after the other.

It’s obviously a very challenging time for airlines across the globe, and particularly Gulf carriers, given the current crisis. So one might wonder if Qatar Airways is a rudderless ship, or what is going on, since you’d want an experienced leader in charge at a time like this.

To be clear, I don’t actually have an opinion on Al-Khater one way or another, because rather bizarrely, I don’t think I’ve seen a single interview or public appearance from him.

Maybe I’m just missing something, but he has to be one of the least visible CEOs we’ve ever seen at a major airline, and his outward communication is almost non-existent. At a time like this, it might be confusing to have someone like that leading the airline, with no direct industry experience. But that brings me to a figure who I think deserves some more credit for his work…

Is Thierry Antinori the de facto CEO of Qatar Airways?

Even as Qatar Airways has seen a shakeup for its top executive spot, one thing hasn’t changed — Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori has continued to be in the number two spot, and if you ask me, credit for Qatar Airways’ continued success largely goes to him. Among airline executives, he’s probably the definition of “walk softly and carry a big stick,” in terms of the power and responsibility he has, without getting the credit, at least in a traditional sense.

Antinori has an interesting history in the industry. Back in the day he worked at Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group, before moving to Emirates in 2011, and ultimately becoming Chief Commercial Officer at the Dubai-based carrier. Then in 2019, he moved to Qatar Airways, where he initially became the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, before ultimately becoming the Chief Commercial Officer.

On the surface that might sound strange. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be the CEO of Qatar Airways, given that it’s a position reserved for nationals, and unlike Emirates, the airline doesn’t carve out a separate “President” position. Furthermore, moving from Emirates to Qatar Airways with a similar job title sounds like a demotion, on the surface (Emirates is a bigger airline).

Of course being Chief Commercial Officer is a big job, but I don’t think that quite does credit to the extent to which Antinori runs the show at Qatar Airways, based on my understanding. I feel more confident about that than ever before, with the airline having been through three CEOs in three years.

Also, the fact that he worked alongside Al Baker for years without butting heads too much really is quite the accomplishment, given what a type-A personality Al Baker is.

I’m curious to see what the rest of Antinori’s career looks like. He’s 64, so I imagine he could retire soon if he wanted to, but people in the airline industry are also passionate, and often have a hard time doing so.

Given the moves he made over the years, I have to imagine (or would hope) he’s earning CEO pay, while just technically having a lower title. Obviously there’s nothing further for him to be promoted to at Qatar Airways, so maybe he’ll just continue his career there.

Or could he end up going to another airline with a “bigger” job title? One would assume Emirates President Tim Clark will retire eventually (he has almost retired as often as Spirit has almost gone out of business), and Antinori is probably the other Gulf executive who has the most experience. That being said, Emirates is a pretty insulated company when it comes to promoting people, and I imagine there may be some bad blood there, based on him leaving years ago.

Anyway, in an industry where so many people try to talk up their importance and influence, Antinori deserves credit for quietly but very successfully being (as I see it) the brain behind one of the world’s most respected airlines.

Bottom line

It’s a strange time at Qatar Airways, given that the airline has been through three CEOs in three years. That’s especially odd for the Gulf region, when you consider they were all Qatari nationals, and they tend to keep their jobs for extended periods of time.

Of note is how the new CEO has now been in his role for around five months, and I’m not sure I’ve actually seen a single interview with him (so I have nothing for or against him, I just don’t know anything!).

The one constant throughout all of this has been that Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori has been there, and it sure seems to me like he’s actually running the show there. He’s had quite a career, and I’m curious to see how that continues.

I still don’t have the slightest clue what has actually happened that has caused this CEO turnover, though I’d sure love to know!