The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Saadia Zahidi as its next director general, effective 1 November 2026, making her the first woman to lead the global airline body.
She succeeds Willie Walsh, who stepped down on 31 July, with Sandrine Le Borgne, IATA's chief financial officer, serving as interim director general until Zahidi assumes the role.
“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,” said Roberto Alvo, chair of the IATA board of directors and CEO of LATAM airlines group.
Zahidi, who will be IATA’s ninth director general, noted that her “top priority will be working with the IATA team and with the industry to build aviation’s future together”.
“Aviation is critical infrastructure for economic growth, trade, tourism, jobs, investment, and opportunity. In a rapidly changing world, IATA's role in bringing the industry together to collaborate through trusted standards, essential services, and advocacy has never been more important,” she added.
The incoming director general joins from the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she spent more than two decades and currently serves as managing director and member of the managing board. She founded the WEF's Centre for the New Economy and Society and co-authors WEF’s Future of Jobs Reports, the Future of Growth Reports, the Global Gender Gap Reports, and Chief Economist Outlooks.