Page 59 - World Airnews Magazine December 2020

NEWS DIGITAL

A GREAT LANDING

This Airbus A330-243(MRTT) Voyager KC.3 carrying the military serial number ZZ334 is seen landing on runway 13
at Malta International Airport with some menacing weather in the background. There are two squadrons within the
Royal Air Force that fly the type 10 and 101. The squadrons are both based at Brize Norton. Photo by Andre Abela

IATA

LEADERSHIP CHANGES

the crisis. Those efforts have made our association even more
relevant.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) an- “With today’s leadership announcements we can be assured
nounced leadership changes approved by the 76th IATA Annual that IATA remains in good hands. Robin will be a strong leader
General Meeting. for the BoG. I am confident that Alexandre will continue to be an
• Robin Hayes, CEO of JetBlue is now the chair of the IATA authoritative voice for the industry as he completes his term as
board of governors succeeding Carsten Spohr, Chair director general and CEO. And Willie will take up the mantle from
IATA BoG (2019-2020) and CEO of Lufthansa. Hayes will April with the fierce leadership determination for which he is
serve a term commencing immediately and ending at well-known,” said Spohr.
the conclusion of the Association’s 78th Annual General Hayes was named president of JetBlue in 2014 and appointed
Meeting to be held in 2022. Hayes will serve an extended CEO in 2015, a position that also encompasses subsidiaries
term as chair covering two AGMs due the disruption to JetBlue technology ventures and JetBlue travel products. He
governance cycles necessitated by the COVID-19 crisis. joined JetBlue in 2008 as executive vice president and chief
• Rickard Gustafson, CEO of SAS Group will serve as commercial officer after a 19-year career with British Airways.
chairman of the board from the conclusion of the 78th “These next months will be critical. There is much work to
IATA AGM in 2022 until the conclusion of the 79th AGM in be done to re-open borders with testing. And we are making
2023, following Hayes’ term. preparations for the eventual global distribution of vaccines. I
• Willie Walsh, former CEO of International Airlines Group look forward to working with Robin to move as far as we can
will become IATA eight director general from 1 April 2021. on these and other critical IATA projects before handing over to
He will succeed Alexandre de Juniac, who has led IATA Willie during March. In the meantime, I congratulate Willie on his
since 2016 and who will step down at the end of March appointment, and I thank Carsten and the other Board members
2021. for their support during my time at IATA,” said de Juniac.
• The nominating committee’s recommendations for “I am honoured by the confidence placed in me to take on the
appointments to the BoG were approved. responsibilities of IATA Director General. The job of IATA director
“I am pleased to be ending my term as chair of the IATA BoG general comes with great responsibility for an industry that is
with strong leadership in place to see IATA through the crisis and critical to the economic and social wellbeing of the world. I look
lead the industry towards recovery. I thank all the members of forward to continuing the transformation started by Alexandre,
the BoG and Alexandre for their support over the 18 months that making IATA an even more effective association that meets the
I have served as BoG Chair - particularly during the crisis period. needs of its members and exceeds their expectations,” said
That support enabled extraordinary efforts by IATA during Walsh. Q

World Airnews | December Extra 2020
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