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 The boss of Qatar Airways has issued "heartfelt apologies for any offence caused" for saying that a woman could not do his job. 
 
 Akbar al-Baker said on Tuesday that the airline had to be led by a man "because it is a very challenging position". 
 
 He later defended Qatar Airways' record on gender diversity, but that failed to quell growing criticism. 
 
 In a statement on Wednesday, Mr al-Baker said Qatar Airways fully supported gender equality. 
 
 He said his comments on Tuesday were "sensationalised by the media... Qatar Airways is made stronger by its female employees for whom I hold nothing but the highest regard." 
 
 The original remarks were made at the annual conference in Sydney of the aviation industry's trade body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), only six of whose 280 airline members have female chief executives. 
 
 Gender imbalance in the industry was a big theme of the conference, where Mr al-Baker officially took over as IATA's chairman. 
 
 Asked at a news conference on Tuesday about female employment among Middle East airlines and whether his job could be done by a woman, Mr al Baker said: "Of course it has to be led by a man, because it is a very challenging position". 
 
 Controversial past 
 
 His comment reportedly prompted groans and boos at the conference, and as the controversy spread, the chief executive issued a statement. 
 
 "I would like to offer my heartfelt apologies for any offence caused by my comment yesterday, which runs counter to my track record of expanding the role of women in leadership throughout the Qatar Airways Group and has been sensationalised by the media." 
 
 Women comprise almost half of the airline's workforce, and "the dedication, drive and skill they bring to their jobs tells me that no role is too tough for them, at all levels of the organisation". 
 
 His statement continued: "Qatar Airways firmly believes in gender equality in the workplace and our airline has been a pioneer in our region in this regard, as the first airline to employ female pilots, as one of the first to train and employ female engineers, and with females represented through to senior vice-president positions within the airline reporting directly to me." 
 
 Mr al-Baker has a reputation for making blunt and often humorous comments, but they can also backfire. 
 
 In 2017, he apologised after calling US flight attendants "grandmothers" during a trade row with US airlines, prompting an airline union to accuse him of sexism and age discrimination. 
 
 Asked on Wednesday whether he truly believed that only a man could do his job, Mr al-Baker said, "No, I don't believe that. As a matter of fact, [at] Air Italy the majority shareholder has shortlisted women to be the CEO and as a minority shareholder, we are actively encouraging that." ||||| The boss at Qatar Airways might want to chat with Angela Merkel, Theresa May or other female heads of state to see if they need any help running their countries, as he views his position atop the state-owned airline as overly challenging for the opposite sex. 
 
 Speaking at a news conference Tuesday at the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Sydney, Australia, Akbar Al Baker marked the occasion of becoming chair of the trade body's board of governors by dismissing the notion that the lack of women in his industry is an issue. 
 
 Of his own job running one of the world's biggest carriers, Al Baker had this to say: "Of course it has to be led by a man, because it is a very challenging position." 
 
 The remark drew audible groans and gasps at the event at which improving diversity at airlines was a major theme, with a panel discussion on the topic held the prior day. 
 
 Qatar Airways followed up with a statement from Al Baker suggesting his comment had been made in jest. "While I am known in the media for some lightheartedness at press conferences, it is crucial that I emphasis the facts as I did today and the importance of women representatives in the airline industry," it reportedly read. 
 
 Al Baker also attempted to repair the damage in a subsequent interview, telling Bloomberg News that he had only been referencing one person, rather than the entire staff. 
 
 Asked if he would embrace having a female leader, he told the news service: "It will be my pleasure to have a female CEO candidate that I could then develop to become CEO after me." 
 
 The remarks are not Al Baker's first to spark controversy. The Qatar Airways chief last year apologized after describing American flight attendants as "grandmothers," as opposed to the average age of 26 for cabin crews working at his carrier. ||||| Qatar Airways is trying to fend off accusations of sexism after its CEO suggested that women aren't capable of running the airline. 
 
 Asked how to reduce gender inequality in the aviation industry, CEO Akbar Al Baker said, in reference to Qatar Airways: "Of course it has to be led by a man because it is a very challenging position." 
 
 Al Baker was addressing reporters Tuesday after being elected chairman of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) at the industry group's annual meeting in Sydney, Australia. His remarks were recorded and posted to YouTube. 
 
 When asked about gender inequality at airlines in the Middle East, he retorted: "not in Qatar Airways." The questioner interjected, saying "but certainly it's being led by a man, so ..." 
 
 That's when Al Baker said that "of course" it "has to be led by a man." The assembled crowd reacted with shouts and groans. 
 
 The CEO expressed remorse in a statement issued on Wednesday. 
 
 "I would like to offer my heartfelt apologies for any offense caused by my comment yesterday, which runs counter to my track record of expanding the role of women in leadership throughout the Qatar Airways Group and has been sensationalized by the media," said Al Baker. 
 
 When initially asked for comment on Tuesday, Qatar Airways referred CNNMoney to comments that Al Baker made during a subsequent interview with Bloomberg. 
 
 "I was only referring to one individual," he told Bloomberg. "I was not referring to the staff in general." 
 
 Related: Qatar Airways CEO: Gulf boycott hurts but won't bring us down 
 
 Qatar Airways followed up with a statement from Al Baker that touted the company's record on gender equality: 
 
 "While I am known in the media for some lightheartedness at press conferences, it is crucial that I emphasize the facts as I did today and the importance of women representatives in the airline industry," the statement said. 
 
 "Qatar Airways firmly believes in gender equality in the workplace and our airline has been a pioneer in our region in this regard, as the first airline to employ female pilots, as one of the first to train and employ female engineers, and with females represented through to senior vice president positions within the airline." 
 
 "It would be my pleasure if I could help develop a female candidate to be the next CEO of Qatar Airways," the statement concluded. 
 
 IATA said in a statement that the small number of women airline CEOs "do their jobs very successfully." 
 
 "Many airlines have implemented programs to encourage gender diversity," it said. "But clearly we, as an industry, have a big task ahead of us." 
 
 Related: 10 'pitiful' excuses companies use not to hire women execs 
 
 Al Baker's comments echo excuses that other corporate leaders have made for not hiring women. 
 
 A list of explanations from anonymous top executives published last week by the UK government included "most women don't want the hassle" and "the issues covered are extremely complex."
– The head of Qatar Airways is backpedaling after saying it takes a man to do his job. Akbar Al Baker attended Tuesday's annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Sydney, Australia, where he was named as the organization's new chairman. But it was his response to a question about gender imbalance in the industry, a key topic of the meeting, that drew the most notice. Qatar Airways "has to be led by a man because it is a very challenging position," Al Baker said. A day later, he issued "heartfelt apologies for any offense caused," though he said his comment was "sensationalized by the media," per the BBC. "Qatar Airways is made stronger by its female employees" and "the dedication, drive, and skill they bring to their jobs tells me that no role is too tough for them," he added. Al Baker clarified that includes the role of CEO. (Females currently lead just six of IATA's 280 airline members.) Majority shareholder Air Italy "has shortlisted women to be the CEO and as a minority shareholder, we are actively encouraging that," he said, adding "it would be my pleasure if I could help develop a female candidate to be the next CEO of Qatar Airways." Al Baker also stressed that he's "known in the media for some lightheartedness at press conferences," per CNN. The BBC agrees the CEO "has a reputation for making blunt and often humorous comments, but they can also backfire." Just last year, Al Baker apologized after he was accused of ageism for referring to US flight attendants as "grandmothers." The average age of his airline's flight attendants at the time was 26, per CBS News.