The airline boss who suggested that women can’t run airlines and called American carriers “crap” and that their passengers were “always being served by grandmothers” is stepping down. Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker is retiring after 27 years leading the company – a tenure during which he forged a reputation as being one of the most outspoken leaders in the airline industry.

Though he later apologized for his outrageous remarks, Al Baker presented a hard-changing, sometimes confrontational approach, that carried into negotiations with manufacturers and others.

Last year, Al Baker lashed out at critics of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup, saying his nation will “always rub salt into the wound” of its adversaries – following concerns from some other countries and soccer teams over how Qatar manages its vast population of low-paid migrant workers and its stance on LGBTO rights.

Al Baker’s retirement will go into effect Nov. 5. He will be succeeded by Badr Mohammed Al-Meer – who currently serves as the chief operating officer of Hamad International Airport in Doha, the hub of Qatar’s national carrier.

In its announcement last week, Qatar Airways said that it “has grown to become one of the most recognizable and trusted brands globally” under Al Baker’s leadership and pointed to seven “World’s Best Airline” wins, among other allocates.

In July, Qatar Airways reported a profit of US$1.2 billion over the last fiscal year, boosted in part by the country’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.