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 March 31.
Mr 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 of International Airlines Group (IAG) to become IATA's eighth Director General from 1 April 2021.
'I did not come to this decision lightly. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the global air transport industry - what I call the business of freedom - as the head of IATA,' said Mr De Juniac.
'IATA has set the course to restore air connectivity amid the Covid crisis with systematic pre-departure testing. We are well into preparations to fulfil critical vaccine distribution needs.
'In parallel, we have restructured IATA to survive the crisis and be ready to support the industry recovery with an organisation dimensioned to serve a smaller industry. And we have a motivated team that is determined to get the job done. The building blocks for an industry recovery are in place.
'And now is the right time to hand over IATA's leadership for the long process of recovery,' he said.
Mr de Juniac joined IATA in September 2016 from Air France-KLM where he was chairman and CEO.
Said IATA chairman and Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr: 'Alexandre has led our industry in extraordinary times. Under his leadership IATA has become a stronger and an even more relevant organisation. I am convinced that Willie will be a great director general.'
SeaNews Turkey
Mr 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 of International Airlines Group (IAG) to become IATA's eighth Director General from 1 April 2021.
'I did not come to this decision lightly. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the global air transport industry - what I call the business of freedom - as the head of IATA,' said Mr De Juniac.
'IATA has set the course to restore air connectivity amid the Covid crisis with systematic pre-departure testing. We are well into preparations to fulfil critical vaccine distribution needs.
'In parallel, we have restructured IATA to survive the crisis and be ready to support the industry recovery with an organisation dimensioned to serve a smaller industry. And we have a motivated team that is determined to get the job done. The building blocks for an industry recovery are in place.
'And now is the right time to hand over IATA's leadership for the long process of recovery,' he said.
Mr de Juniac joined IATA in September 2016 from Air France-KLM where he was chairman and CEO.
Said IATA chairman and Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr: 'Alexandre has led our industry in extraordinary times. Under his leadership IATA has become a stronger and an even more relevant organisation. I am convinced that Willie will be a great director general.'
SeaNews Turkey
