Adel Al Redha, COO of Emirates, has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award 2020 from Cranfield University, one of the world’s leading academic institutions for aviation and aerospace programs.
On Saturday (November 28, 2020), Emirates announced that their Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Adel Al Redha, has been honored by Cranfield University, one of the world’s leading academic institutions for aviation and aerospace programs, with the ‘Distinguished Aviation Alumnus Award 2020.’ The award was presented in an online ceremony by Cranfield University’s Chief Executive and Vice Chancellor, Sir Peter Gregson who spoke on Al Redha’s forward thinking and leadership, especially in areas of the integration of innovation and technology across the business which has delivered operational efficiency, safety and customer satisfaction at Emirates. In his acceptance, Mr. Al Redha thanked Emirates Chairman, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saaed and Emirates Airline President, Tim Clark as well as family and colleagues for their support and encouragement, stating,
“His Highness Sheikh Ahmed and Sir Tim have both been key figures and mentors throughout my career. Without their encouragement and support, I would not have embarked on my Masters’ degree at Cranfield. In 1996, I was grateful to be nominated by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed for a scholarship to pursue my Master’s Degree at Cranfield University. Emirates was a young and ambitious airline that was growing quickly at that time, and it was hard to take time off to go back to school. But my manager Sir Tim Clark rightly persuaded me to proceed with the course.”
In his keynote address following the award, Al Redha spoke on the growth at Emirates and his passion for developing a talented pool of aviation professionals in the UAE, including the launch of the Emirates Flight Academy in 2017 and various other programs to groom cadet pilots, engineers and aviation management talent. Speaking on the global COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Al Redha added,
“Find the opportunity in every crisis, and always keep one eye on the future, even when fighting the immediate fires. It may be tempting to cut investments in technology and innovation when things get tough, but look carefully before you chop, as you might also be cutting off the answer to survival and emerging stronger. Also, we must never forget to keep the human touch. Even while pushing for automation and intelligent systems, it’s important to keep a balance, and don’t forget to invest in people. Most importantly, in a crisis, especially major ones, the only way we come out of it is by working closely together, hand in hand, with clear leadership and vision.”
Adel Al Redha joined Emirates in 1988 and has held senior management roles including the oversight of aircraft manufacturing programs at Boeing and Airbus. Since 2009, he has served as the carrier’s Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for the airline’s operating departments both in Dubai and across Emirates’ global network including network operations, flight and catering operations, cabin crew, airport services, engineering, aircraft procurement, crisis response and the Emirates Flight Training Academy. In 2017, Mr. Al Redha was named one of the top five global airline executives by Future Travel Experience’s Airline Passenger Experience Power List. Al Redha is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and graduated with a Masters’ degree in Air Transport from Cranfield University in 1997.
Source: Emirates