A year after Qatar boss’ gaffe, airlines still pay ‘lip service’ to diversity

SEOUL: A year after Qatar Airways boss’ remark that a woman could not do his job drew scathing criticism, airline executives called out the industry for paying only “lip service” to diversity and not pushing to get more women out of cabins and into boardrooms.

While Akbar al-Baker had apologised for his remarks made at last year’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) meeting in Sydney, saying they were intended as a joke and taken out of context, the controversy highlighted the lack of women in senior aviation roles. His airline is now sponsoring three diversity and inclusion awards with US$25,000 prizes, each to be presented today at this year’s IATA meeting in Seoul.