The board of directors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global representative body for the airline industry, has announced the appointment of the organisation’s new director-general. She is Saadia Zahidi, and is currently the World Economic Forum’s (WEF's) MD (and a managing board member). She will be the ninth director-general of IATA and the first woman to hold the post.
“Saadia’s long and outstanding experience at the World Economic Forum will enhance and strengthen IATA as the voice of the world’s airlines,” highlighted IATA board chair and LATAM Airlines Group CEO Roberto Alvo. “Global air transport is a trillion-dollar industry that has and continues to change the world for the better. Saadia’s appointment comes at a moment of significant change in the international environment. Technology and geopolitics, among others, will reshape the industry in the future and Saadia brings the right skills to effectively articulate what our industry needs to continue connecting people and economies safely, efficiently and sustainably.”
Zahidi, who has dual Swiss-Pakistani nationality, will take up the post on November 1. The current director-general, Willie Walsh, ends his term on July 31. The board has appointed IATA CFO and senior VP for corporate services Sandrine Le Borgne as interim director-general for the intervening period.
