Qatar Airways CEO apologises for calling US air hostesses ‘grandmothers’

Qatar Airways CEO apologises for calling US air hostesses ‘grandmothers’ | Secret Flying

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker apologised “unreservedly” for calling US flight attendants “grandmothers” during a speech last week.

 

In a speech at a dinner in Ireland, the Qatar Airways CEO said US airlines were “crap” and their passengers were “always being served by grandmothers”. His comments have since been condemned as both sexist and ageist by labour unions and American Airlines.

 

Sheik Al Baker later boasted that “the average age of my cabin crew is only 26”.

 

In a statement issued Tuesday to American’s flight attendants, the vice president of flight services, wrote, “If you’re like me, you found [the remarks] incredibly offensive – it was both sexist and ageist at the same time.

 

“At American, our flight attendants are hired for their professionalism, dedication to safety, and commitment to our customers.”

 

The controversy comes as US carriers accuse Gulf carriers of receiving state support. An accusation Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates all deny.

 

On Wednesday, American Airlines announced that it was cancelling a code-share agreement with Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways as “an extension of our stance against the illegal subsidies”.

 

In a letter to the Association of Flight Attendants , the Qatar Airways chief executive wrote: “I should like to apologize unreservedly to those offended by my recent remarks which compared Qatar Airways cabin crew with cabin crew on U.S. carriers,” Al Baker said in a statement. “Cabin crew are the public face of all airlines, and I greatly respect their hard work and professionalism. They play a huge role in the safety and comfort of passengers, irrespective of their age or gender or familial status.”