Former Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali set to rejoin Royal Jordanian

Amman: Royal Jordanian Airlines is set to name Samer Majali as its chief executive, bringing back an industry veteran who ran the carrier more than a decade ago. The appointment of Majali, who is 63 and holds dual British and Jordanian citizenship, could be confirmed as soon as this week.

Like carriers worldwide, Royal Jordanian has been hammered by lockdowns and travel curbs triggered by coronavirus crisis, posting a loss of 107 million dinars ($151 million) in the first nine months of 2020. Former CEO Stefan Pichler, who once ran Air Berlin, resigned at the end of September after three years in the post that saw him revive earnings prior to the pandemic.

Majali, who will also be vice-chairman, ran Royal Jordanian between 2001 and 2009 after more than 10 years there in other roles. His tenure saw the airline become the first in the Middle East to join a global alliance after enlisting with British Airways and American Airlines-led Oneworld. On his departure he went on to become CEO of Bahrain's Gulf Air and later ran startup SaudiGulf.