Qatar Airways restores 85% of its network and adds senior roles to drive expansion.

As it gets ready for its next stage of expansion, Qatar Airways Group announced the creation of two new executive leadership positions and restored its network to 85% of its pre-crisis capacity.

The airline’s Summer 2026 schedule, which features more than 140 daily flights from Doha to more than 160 locations globally, was launched concurrently with the milestone. The airline claims that the recovery meets a goal set earlier this year during the time of regional disruption that momentarily impacted a sizable chunk of its network.

The positions of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Customer Officer (CCO) were established by Qatar Airways Group to support its long-term growth strategy. Hamad Al-Khater, the Group Chief Executive Officer, will get direct reports from both executives.

The appointments are in line with three strategic priorities: strengthening talent development, succession planning, and workforce capabilities; growing the passenger and cargo network with a contemporary fleet and the next generation of Qsuite; and improving the passenger experience across all customer touchpoints.

Abdulla Ali, a Qatari national, has been promoted from his present function as Senior Vice President of Ground Services to the newly created Chief Operating Officer position. With an emphasis on accountability, operational performance, and upholding the highest safety standards, Ali will supervise the Group’s operational activities in his new position. He has a proven track record of managing high-achieving teams and a wealth of knowledge in airline, airport, and network operations.

Calum Laming, who most recently worked as Chief Customer Officer at British Airways from 2022 until earlier this year, will assume the role of Chief Customer Officer. Additionally, Laming has held top customer-focused leadership positions at Air New Zealand and Etihad Airways. In his capacity as CCO, he will be in charge of coordinating the airline’s brand with customer touchpoints to provide a seamless, customer-focused, and consistent travel experience.

On November 1, 2026, Abdulla Ali and Calum Laming will take up their new roles.

Group CEO Hamad Al-Khater commented on the appointments, saying, “These appointments are about what comes next. We will move more quickly, intensify our emphasis on excellence, and prioritise the client in every choice we make now that Abdulla and Calum have joined our leadership team. They are also about our people, increasing our capacity to nurture talent and foster the expansion of our amazing teams.”