Willie Walsh to become IATA’s next Director General
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO, will step down from his role at the Association effective 31 March 2021.
De Juniac made known his intention to step down from the Association several months ago which enabled a search process to facilitate a smooth leadership transition. The IATA Board of Governors will recommend to the 76th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 24 November 2020 the appointment of Willie Walsh, former CEO, International Airlines Group (IAG), to become IATA’s eighth Director General from 1 April 2021.
“Over the last years IATA has strategically increased its relevance as the voice of the global airline industry. This has been evident in the Covid-19 crisis. IATA has set the course to restore air connectivity amid the pandemic with systematic pre-departure testing. We are well into preparations to fulfil critical vaccine distribution needs. Now is the right time to hand over IATA’s leadership for the long process of recovery,” explained de Juniac.
De Juniac joined IATA in September 2016 from Air France-KLM where he was Chairman and CEO.
“Alexandre has led our industry in extraordinary times. Under his leadership IATA has become a stronger and an even more relevant organization. I am convinced that Willie will be a great Director General for IATA,” noted Carsten Spohr, Chair of the IATA Board of Governors and CEO of Lufthansa.
Resolutions will be presented to the 76th IATA AGM thanking de Juniac for his service to IATA as Director General and CEO and proposing Walsh as the next IATA Director General, a press communique concluded.
