Reporting to Dr. Nadia Bastaki, Chief People, Government and Corporate Affairs Officer, Captain Al Ali joins Etihad from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), where he most recently served as Senior Director of the Air Transport Department from 2013 to 2025. In this role, he was responsible for developing and directing national air transport strategy, leading bilateral and multilateral air services agreement negotiations, and providing policy advisory support to the UAE Federal Government on aviation-related matters.
A distinguished UAE national with a career spanning more than 40 years in aviation, Captain Al Ali brings a distinctive combination of operational flying expertise and high-level regulatory and diplomatic experience. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), has accumulated over 12,000 flying hours, and has held a succession of leadership roles in the aviation sector.
In his new role, Captain Al Ali will oversee Etihad’s government affairs strategy, manage relationships with aviation authorities and government stakeholders worldwide, and lead the airline’s aeropolitical agenda to support network expansion and route development.
Captain Al Ali holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Science, a Bachelor’s degree in Law, a Judicial Expertise Diploma from the Dubai Judicial Institute, and an Arbitration and several diplomas in Arbitration and International Relations. He is also an appointed aviation legal expert in UAE courts, having contributed to the resolution of more than 50 aviation-related cases.
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