Saadia Zahidi appointed IATA director general

The Montreal-based International Air Transport Association, IATA had 367 member airlines across 122 countries at the beginning of the year. Nearly nine in ten flights worldwide are operated by IATA member airlines.

Since its establishment in 1945, IATA has had eight male directors general, including Sweden’s Knut Hammarskjöld. Saadia Zahidi will become the first woman to lead the global aviation trade association when Ireland’s Willie Walsh steps down.

A dual Pakistani and Swiss citizen, Saadia Zahidi was educated in Europe and the United States and has held senior positions at the World Economic Forum for the past 20 years. She has served on the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment (HLP-WEE) and the board of the European Space Agency. She is also the author of Fifty Million Rising, a book examining the growing participation of Muslim women in the workforce.

Willie Walsh, known for his outspoken approach, will step down in a week. Saadia Zahidi will take up the position on 1 November, with IATA chief financial officer Sandrine Le Borgne serving as interim director general until then.