Dovydenas previously spent 16 years at Chapman Freeborn’s parent company, Avia Solutions Group, in both Chief Executive Officer and Chief Commercial Officer roles before joining the charter broker in 2022.

“From 2007 until 2023 Linas played an integral part in almost all of Avia Solutions Group’s group companies’ development and geographical expansion, so he is exceptionally placed to step into the role of President, IMEA, at Chapman Freeborn and turn his attention to accelerating our growth in the region,” said Eric Erbacher, Group CEO, Chapman Freeborn.

Prior to the appointment, which takes immediate effect, Dovydenas was Executive VP, ACMI Leasing, Chapman Freeborn.

“I look forward to working with the IMEA team and driving growth throughout the region,” said Dovydenas.

“Chapman Freeborn is an exceptional company, and it will be a privilege to oversee further expansion at such an exciting time in the industry.”

From December 2024, comedian, actor, and entrepreneur, Hart and other stars will present the airline’s in-flight safety procedures in a short and entertaining film. Directed by renowned Hollywood director Tim Story, the video is created to engage passengers’ attention and focus on the important safety instructions.

Travellers will not want to miss a moment of Hart’s performance, or the star-studded cameo appearances that help him demonstrate the airline’s important safety instructions. Supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley assists him to reach new heights – in this instance, the overhead lockers – and Anwar and Amal Jibawi remind him to ensure seatbelts are tightly secured and kept on throughout the flight. Additionally, Khaby Lame supports Kevin Hart doing what he does best, and Adam Waheed demonstrates how to put on an oxygen mask.   

Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “At Qatar Airways, the safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority. Our main ambition for this project was to design an in-flight safety video that passengers will not want to miss.”

“As we continue to become more technologically advanced, we are seeing more and more passengers not paying enough attention to the in-flight safety video, instead opting for entertainment content on their other devices. We decided there was no better way to capture their attention than with their favourite celebrities and content creators. Shining a spotlight and amplifying this message, we are proud to welcome Kevin Hart, our latest Global Brand Ambassador, to help spread the word.” 

Qatar Airways Global Brand Ambassador, comedian, actor and entrepreneur, Hart, said: “Buckle Up! This safety video is unlike anything you have seen on-board a luxury airline before. I have loved partnering with Qatar Airways to produce a video that passengers will not only pay attention to but remember for a long time coming, or at least until their next flight.  Qatar Airways represents best-in-class service and attention to detail, and this video brings those elements to your seat-back screen. Now, sit back, relax and enjoy the flight!”

Airlink’s current chief financial officer, de Villiers Engelbrecht, will take over from Foster as the company’s new CEO with effect from 1 April 2025.

Foster will remain a shareholder in the airline and will continue serving as a non-executive director.

Foster has served as the CEO and managing director since co-founding the business in June 1992 with Barrie Webb. At that time, South Africa was undergoing a political transition with sanctions and boycotts gradually being lifted and the doors being opened for increased trade, commerce, arts, and tourism. Airlink’s establishment coincided with the deregulation of South Africa’s domestic airline industry, allowing privately-owned airlines to compete with the state-owned national carrier.

“It has been a privilege to have led Airlink through what has been an exciting, at times very challenging, but ultimately a rewarding and fulfilling journey. However, after more than three decades in the post, it is time to hand over the flight controls to my successor and our Chief Financial Officer, de Villiers Engelbrecht,” said Foster.

Engelbrecht has been involved in Airlink for over 20 years, he served as a non executive director for a period, and joined as an executive in February 2011.

“de Villiers is widely respected in the industry and has worked alongside me, helping to steady Airllink, repurpose it and put the airline on a course for sustainable growth in the face of two existential threats to the company. These included Airlink’s separation from SAA due to SAA’s business rescue, followed closely by the COVID-19 travel restrictions which jolted air travel to a standstill. He has had hands-on exposure to all of the key elements that constitute the airline business and has the support of the entire executive team, the broader management as well as all our external stakeholders,” explained Mr Foster.

“Airlink is a flourishing and resilient business. It has a strong balance sheet that has been bolstered by an equity injection from Qatar Airways Group’s acquisition of a 25 percent stake in the company. Since 2020 Airlink has built a constellation of commercial partnerships with many of the world’s leading airlines. None of this would have been possible without the tireless support of the entire dedicated, dilligent and professional Airlink team who it has been my privilege to lead,” he added.

The partnership was unveiled at the Altitude Wellness Centre at Al Maha Qatar Airways Crew Accommodation Building, a location symbolic of peak performance and well-being – qualities synonymous with Novak’s legendary career. Paying homage to Novak’s unmatched success on tennis courts across the world, this collaboration celebrates his unparalleled achievements and relentless pursuit of high performance.

Djokovic stands as one of the greatest athletes in history, with 24 Grand Slam titles and a gold medal the 2024 Paris Olympics. From his dominance on Wimbledon’s grass courts to his mastery of Melbourne’s hard courts.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Novak Djokovic to the Qatar Airways family. Novak’s extraordinary career, defined by record-breaking achievements and an unrelenting drive to succeed, mirrors our own commitment to excellence. Our global network will support Novak as he competes at the highest level in tournaments around the world and continues to set new standards in the sport of tennis. Novak truly personifies the ambitious drive for excellence, making the tennis legend the perfect choice as our Global Brand Ambassador and Wellness Advisor."

Djokovic, said: "It is my great pleasure and honour to partner with Qatar Airways, a company I admire for many years not just for its impeccable service to its customers and employees, but also because it recognises the importance of wellbeing and longevity which is a passion of mine. I believe that together we will be able to add more value and quality to the award-winning experience for the customers worldwide. As I continue to travel the world as a professional athlete, with my family and for business, I am grateful to have Qatar Airways as my partner."

He awards were led by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group.

His Highness commented on the extraordinary efforts and initiatives of the winners of this year’s awards: “The dedication, spirit of collaboration, perseverance and ingenuity of team members being honoured today shows the Emirates Group at its best. Whether its skilfully undertaking the largest known fleet retrofit project, expanding the digital retailing experience, achieving fuel savings across our flight operations, bringing sustainability to the forefront of our dnata Travel business, making the travel experience more inclusive, and showing courage in the face of danger,  these defining moments demonstrate the attitudes and actions that will have a lasting impact on the organisation for years to come.”

One employee being recognised was Raphael Teixeira was working his routine shift  at JFK Airport when he spotted a piece of unattended ground support equipment (GSE) emitting smoke and flames. Instantly recognising the magnitude of the situation, he quickly sprang to action to extinguish the fire and bring it under control before it had the chance to cause further damage or endanger aircraft, and most importantly those onboard.

Teixeira’s story was one of six Najm Chairman’s 2024 Awards that individually and collectively recognise Emirates Group employees in six categories: measurable customer experience improvements, innovation, leading impactful initiatives that contribute to the Group’s ESG efforts and commitment to fostering a safety-first culture.

Dr. Alhinai, who currently serves on the Board of Directors for the GCAA, the UAE’s aviation regulator, will be responsible for spearheading the planned launch of Archer’s electric air taxis in the region.

Alhinai will be critical in helping to guide the consortium led by ADIO that Archer announced last week as part of its Q3 '24 results. Through this consortium, Archer has already made significant progress in establishing the regulatory pathway, infrastructure and flight operations plans necessary to enable market entry as early as late next year. Prior to Archer, Alhinai served as Director of Strategy at the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, a supervisory body reporting to the Executive Council under the command of the Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed, where he worked on the emirate’s long-term strategic planning and performance review. 

Alhinai also held roles at McKinsey & Company across several international markets, with experience in high-growth tech, sustainability and advanced air mobility. Alhinai holds a Ph.D. in Aerial Robotics from Imperial College London and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronic Engineering from the University of Manchester.

Vistara scheduled for 12 November 2024. 

• Vinod Kannan, chief executive officer of Vistara who has also been holding the role of Chief Integration Officer for the full-service airlines’ merger, will continue in the latter role post-merger. He will be a member of the Management Committee and report directly to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson.
• Deepak Rajawat, chief commercial officer of Vistara, will take up the Chief Financial Officer role at newly-enlarged Air India Express, reporting to CEO Aloke Singh. He will also support Group CFO Sanjay Sharma in strategic initiatives and projects. Consequently, Vikas Agarwal, the current CFO of Air India Express, will move to a new role in Air India. 
• Capt. Hamish Maxwell, SVP Flight Operations of Vistara, has assumed an advisory role to Air India Express CEO Mr Aloke Singh, while Capt. Pushpinder Singh, Chief Operations Officer of Air India Express, returns to flying. A successor for Capt. Singh will be announced in due course.
• Deepa Chadha and Mr Vinod Bhatt, SVP HR & Corporate Affairs and Chief Information Officer of Vistara respectively, will take on senior roles at other Tata group companies, while Vistara CFO Mr Niyant Maru, who had graciously continued beyond his superannuation date to see through completion of the merger, will retire at the end of his current term.

Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India, said: “Over the past two years the four Tata airlines have worked hard to prepare for and execute one of the most complex mergers in aviation history, consolidating from four airlines to two in the context of dramatic growth and wholesale transformation. As we now approach the end of that process, we are delighted to formalise a Group leadership comprising colleagues from all four antecedent airlines to drive the next phase of our journey. I would also like to acknowledge those who, whether retiring or taking up other roles within the Tata group, have contributed so significantly not just to the consolidation process but, over many years, to the DNA of what is now the new Air India.”

Mashabi succeeds Teddy Zebitz as CEO, who has led Saudia Cargo to record success, driving innovation and solidifying its leading position, Zebitz will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.

“During Teddy's tenure, we have achieved remarkable milestones and navigated through numerous challenges, all while maintaining our commitment to performance and service excellence,” said Abdulkareem Abualnasr, Saudia Cargo Board Chairman. “Teddy's vision and leadership have been instrumental in building the capabilities of our company and in executing our strategies, and we are deeply grateful for all his valuable contributions.”

Under his leadership, Saudia Cargo will focus on accelerating its growth, expanding its international network, and advancing Saudi Vision 2030’s logistics sector goals, enabling the Kingdom's transformation by securing essential goods and providing customer-centric solutions that help businesses thrive and industries grow.

Emirates’ commercial operations executives and teams manage vital customer, partner and stakeholder relationships, meet revenue targets, and serve as active ambassadors for the airline across its strong network spanning 138 destinations in 80 countries.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President Passenger Sales and Country Management will continue to spearhead the team and the new structure, which will commence from 1 November. Three of the top six roles below are led by Emirates’ long-serving UAE Nationals.

Thierry Aucoc, currently Senior Vice President (SVP) Commercial Operations Europe and Russian Federation, will become SVP Commercial Operations (West), covering Europe and the Americas.

Adil Al Ghaith, currently SVP Commercial Operations Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia, will become SVP Commercial Operations (Centre), covering Gulf, Middle East and Africa. 

Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, currently Divisional VP (DVP) USA & Canada, will become SVP Commercial Operations (West Asia & Indian Ocean).

Matthew Jones, currently Regional Sales Manager USA, will become VP USA, and report to Thierry Aucoc. 

Orhan Abbas, SVP Commercial Operations (Far East), and Barry Brown, DVP Australasia, will continue to lead their current regions.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and chief commercial officer said: “Our Commercial Operations teams have a crucial role to play not only at our Dubai hub, but across the expanse of our growing network. As our ambassadors, they have deep knowledge of local market dynamics and a sharp understanding of our customers with a view to delighting them and our other key stakeholders every single day. By strengthening our global portfolios with these executive appointments, our aim is to be future fit, elevate customer satisfaction, refuel our business, and reenergise our markets. I wish our commercial leaders every success in their new or expanded roles.”

He joins Swissport from Saudi Ground Services (SGS), where he was a key member of the executive team with more than 17 years of experience. In his most recent role as Vice President of Commercial, he was instrumental in shaping the company’s strategic direction and building strong partnerships within the aviation industry. His wealth of expertise in the aviation ground services industry will drive Swissport’s continued growth in the Kingdom, where Swissport aims to further expand its presence in air cargo handling, ground services, and lounge hospitality business, including particular attention to servicing Saudi carriers.

“We are pleased to welcome Hamad Alhemede as our new CEO for Saudi Arabia,” said Dirk Goovaerts, CEO of Swissport’s CEMEAI region and Global Cargo Chair. "His leadership will help Swissport to continue its successful growth story and to contribute toward Vision 2030. We are ready to deliver operational excellence and the world-class services needed for the future of aviation in Saudi Arabia.”

In this new role, Alhemede follows Chris Browne, who will continue to support the Saudi team as new chief operating officer for the Middle East region. Browne will have operational responsibility for Swissport in Saudi Arabia and also lead its business in Oman as country manager responsibility for Swissport Oman. Browne will also support in the business development activities for the Middle East.