The Inside Brief: Menzies chief on aviation’s recovery and a lifetime of navigating crises
When you look out of the aircraft window on the apron, the people turning your flight around probably work for Menzies . Its chief executive, Hassan El Houry, manages 65,000 of them across 65 countries and joined me for the launch edition of season two of The Inside Brief . This was days after the security incident on flydubai flight FZ1073 , which diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia on September…
Menzies chief executive Hassan El Houry discussed the aviation industry's recovery and his lifetime of navigating crises during The Inside Brief. With 65,000 employees across 65 countries, El Houry highlighted the thorough security measures in place for both employees and passengers. He explained that these measures, already in place, will soon come to the spotlight as the industry aims to rebuild public confidence.
After the September 30 security incident involving flydubai flight FZ1073, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia's Tabuk, UAE authorities launched an investigation. El Houry emphasized that airlines need to focus on restoring confidence, noting that the previous crises, such as 9/11 and COVID-19, took approximately a year and a half to two years and three and a half years to recover, respectively.
He attributed the swift recovery to passenger demand, stating that airlines are still seeing a significant number of passengers flying.
With about five billion passengers expected to fly this year, El Houry noted that airline profits are expected to halve, from $50 billion last year to around $25 billion this year. Despite the challenges, El Houry drew on his own experiences with resilience, having faced numerous crises from a young age, including forced refugee status due to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. He shared his philosophy of embracing challenges, stating that quitting is permanent, and his advice to seek guidance when unsure, with humility.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
