Top Emirates airline executive resigns after dip in profits

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The chief commercial officer at Emirates, the Middle East’s largest airline, has resigned after profits dipped to their lowest level in years.

Emirates on Sunday confirmed Thierry Antinori’s resignation. It says Adnan Kazim, who currently oversees a division tasked with revenue optimization and strategic planning, was named acting CCO in addition to his current responsibilities.

The changes come days after the Dubai-based airline said its profits fell nearly 70% in the past fiscal year, reaching lows of $237 million largely due to higher fuel costs, a strengthened U.S. dollar and stagnant passenger growth.

The Emirates website says Antinori joined Emirates in 2011 as executive vice-president for passenger sales worldwide. He held the post of CCO at Emirates for six years.