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Bloomberg
Emirates Airline President Tim Clark plans to retire in June after 16 years at the helm of the Dubai-based carrier, the world’s largest by international traffic.
The 70-year-old will stay on in an advisory role even after stepping down, Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. Clark joined Emirates’ founding team in 1985 and became its president in 2003, according to his profile on the airline’s website.
“Through wars, economic recessions, disasters natural or man-made, and various industry upheavals, Tim has ably steered and grown Emirates to its standing today as the world’s largest international airline,†Al Maktoum said.
Under Clark’s leadership, Emirates became a global powerhouse using its main hub of Dubai as a connecting point for travelers between Asia, Europe and the US. Formerly a major customer for Airbus SE‘s doubledecker A380, Clark has more recently been overhauling the Emirates fleet following that jet’s cancellation.
While the airline has been profitable during the past three decades, Emirates has been facing increasing challenges in recent years including an economic slowdown and geopolitical tensions stemming from trade wars. The airline, known for its lavish first-and business-class offerings, has also strengthened ties with budget airliner Flydubai, also owned by the Dubai government.