After assuming his position only a couple of weeks ago, the new chief executive of Qatar Airways has relaxed a controversial and often criticised nighttime curfew rule for cabin crew at the Doha-based airline.
Former Qatar Airways boss Akbar Al Baker presided over a policy in which cabin crew were required to be in their company-provided accommodation between the hours of 4 am and 7 am every day, except when they were on an international layover.
Additionally, cabin crew had to be in their accommodation at least 12 hours before their next flying duty.
Cabin crew had their movements monitored by security guards, along with electronic key cards and surveillance video and faced being terminated if they didn’t adhere to the strict curfew requirement.
Qatar Airways had previously justified the nightly curfew on the grounds that it ensured cabin crew would be well-rested and fit to fly, although the policy is atypical for the airline industry, and cabin crew at regional rivals like Emirates and Etihad Airways are subjected to curfews.
As revealed by industry insider, ‘A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge‘, Qatar Airways cabin crew will no longer be subjected to the nighttime curfew before their days off or before annual leave.
Cabin crew will, however, still need to be in their accommodation at least nine hours before their next flying duty.
Veteran chief executive Akbar Al Baker suddenly and unexpectedly announced his departure from the airline last month, giving less than two weeks’ notice. He was succeeded Eng. Badr Al Meer, former chief operations officer of Doha Hamad International Airport.
After taking the reigns at the airline on November 9, Al Meer sent a memo to staffers saying he wanted to introduce a ‘new era’ in which “a culture of trust and empowerment will be the building blocks of our shared success.”
During the pandemic in late 2020, Qatar Airways tightened its curfew policy, banning cabin crew from leaving their accommodation between 9 pm and 7 am every day. The airline blamed cabin crew for breaching local Covid restrictions.
A year later, during the ‘Omicron’ surge, Qatar Airways banned cabin crew from leaving their hotel rooms during international layovers, regardless of local rules, over fears they could become infected and become unable to work the flight home.
