The chief executive of Qatar Airways has been unceremoniously replaced with immediate effect, just two years after taking on one of the biggest jobs in the aviation industry.
The surprise announcement came in a short statement from the airline, which did not say why Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer was being replaced with no notice.
Mohammed Al‑Meer leaves Qatar Airways with immediate effect
Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer became the chief executive of Qatar Airways in November 2023 in very similar circumstances when long-serving CEO Akbar Al Baker announced the surprise decision that he was stepping down from the role.
Within hours of the announcement, Al-Meer had been cherry-picked as Al Baker’s replacement, elevating a previously unknown executive within Qatar’s aviation industry into its global figurehead.
Little more than two years later, Al-Meer is out. On Sunday, Qatar Airways said Al-Meer was being replaced with immediate effect. The airline did not, however, provide a reason for Al-Meer’s departure or why it was happening so suddenly.
“Qatar Airways Group extends its appreciation to Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer for his service,” commented the chairman of the airline group’s board of directors, His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi.
Hamad Ali Al‑Khater named as new chief executive
So who is the new chief executive of Qatar Airways? The airline has, perhaps unsurprisingly, chosen another Qatari for the role, with Hamad Ali Al‑Khater taking on the job of Qatar Airways chief executive as of Sunday, December 7, 2025.
Little is known about Al‑Khater, but, just like Al-Meer before him, he was the chief executive of Doha Hamad International Airport right up until the moment that he was plucked from obscurity and promoted to CEO at Qatar Airways.
Doha Airport is part of the Qatar Airways Group, so Al‑Khater does have experience working for the state-owned airline within the last couple of years. Prior to his joining the airport operator, however, Al‑Khater was working in various senior roles at QatarEnergy.
One of the biggest unanswered questions is what Al‑Khater’s strategy will be at Qatar Airways.
Why is Al-Meer out? What’s going on behind the scenes?
Did Al-Meer voluntarily step down, or was he pushed? We may never know why Al-Meer has been replaced, although the suddenness of the announcement certainly speaks volumes, and internal politics, or even family rivalries within the upper echelons of Qatari society, cannot be ruled out.
What’s interesting about the official announcement from Qatar Airways is that it provides no information on why Al-Meer is being replaced, and it offers no direct quote from him, which is normally a fairly standard practice.
While Al-Kaabi thanked Al-Meer for his service, he also commented: “With this leadership transition, Qatar Airways Group reaffirms its commitment to delivering world-class experiences, reliability, and innovation to travellers around the globe.”
Is this a veiled dig at the strategic direction that Al-Meer took Qatar Airways during his tenure? As an airline that boasts about being one of the world’s very best carriers, was something as simple as lagging customer satisfaction scores the reason for his being ousted?
What is Al-Meer’s legacy at Qatar Airways?
Despite his short tenure, Al-Meer has certainly left his mark on Qatar Airways. Within weeks of taking on the job, Al-Meer set about creating a very different culture from the one his predecessor, Akbar Al Baker, had relentlessly enforced.
Al-Meer developed what he called ‘Qatar Airways 2.0‘: an internal policy aimed at making the airline’s culture more welcoming and inclusive. Gone were the days of employees fearing for their jobs over the most minor of mistakes.
The problem, though, is that some critics of this policy believe that the culture shift has led to declining service standards.
Will the infamous social media ban be reintroduced?
Al-Meer dropped the airline’s infamous social media ban, which prevented cabin crew from posting photos or videos of themselves in uniform. Instead, cabin crew were actually encouraged to post images of themselves on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Will Al-Meer’s removal bring with it the reintroduction of the social media ban?
Qatar Airways secures additional landing rights to Australia
Al-Meer was also responsible for delivering something that Qatar Airways had been after for years: Securing additional landing rights to Australia’s major gateway cities.
After being knocked back several times by Australia’s government, Al-Meer found a backdoor entry into the market by taking a 25% equity stake in Virgin Australia on the condition that the airline resume long-haul international flying.
These new long-haul flights are not, however, operated by Virgin Australia aircraft. Instead, Qatar Airways operates the flights on its aircraft and with its crew. And while the services do use Virgin Australia flight numbers, they are, for all intents and purposes, Qatar Airways flights.
Airline commits to a new First Class seat
In 2024, Al-Meer also announced that Qatar Airways was developing a new First Class seat – a major reversal in the airline’s approach to First Class.
Al Baker had been trying to eliminate First Class from the Qatar Airways fleet, steering the airline towards focusing solely on its QSuite platform for premium passengers.
Qatar Airways is, however, yet to reveal its new First Class seat or announce any further details about this product.
Second chief executive in two years after Akbar Al Baker was ousted in October 2023
Akbar Al Baker was at the helm of Qatar Airways for 27 years before he suddenly stood down from the role in November 2023. The often outspoken executive was responsible for turning Qatar Airways from what was a small and underperforming regional airline into a global behemoth.
Al Baker is said to have controlled the airline with an iron fist. He had an extraordinary eye for the most minor of details, constantly demanding nothing but the very best, and was personally involved in making decisions on everyday matters that wouldn’t even come close to concerning most CEOs.
When Al Baker’s departure was announced, he suddenly disappeared without a trace. We haven’t heard from him in the last two years, and the reason for his departure remains a mystery, although he hasn’t completely fallen out of favor with Qatar’s ruling family.
He now sits on the board of directors for Qatar’s Financial Centre Authority and the Qatar Free Zones Authority.
Bottom Line
After just two years at the helm of Qatar Airways, chief executive Mohammed Al-Meer is out. He has been replaced with immediate effect by Hamad Ali Al‑Khater, a previously little-known executive at Doha Hamas International Airport.
The reason for Al-Meer’s departure has not been disclosed, and it remains to be seen what direction Al‑Khater will now take Qatar Airways in.
