Saadia Zahidi to lead IATA as first woman Director General

The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) board of directors has appointed Saadia Zahidi as the association's next Director General, effective November 1, 2026. Zahidi becomes IATA's ninth Director General and its first woman to hold the role.

Zahidi joins IATA from the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she currently serves as Managing Director and a Member of the Managing Board, a tenure spanning more than two decades. She founded and heads the WEF's Centre for the New Economy and Society, and has previously led the Forum's Global Communications Group and Global Programming Group, alongside its engagement with academics, civil society, and international organisations.

Willie Walsh, IATA's outgoing Director General, concludes his tenure on July 31, 2026. Bridging the gap, the Board has named Sandrine Le Borgne, IATA's Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Corporate Services, as interim Director General.

Roberto Alvo, Chair of the IATA Board and CEO of LATAM Airlines Group, welcomed the appointment. "The Board is very pleased to appoint Saadia Zahidi as Director General of IATA," Alvo said, adding her WEF experience would strengthen the association's role as "the voice of the world's airlines." He pointed to technology and geopolitics as forces set to reshape the industry, noting Zahidi's skillset positions her to articulate the sector's needs as it navigates that shift. Alvo also credited Walsh's leadership for helping IATA emerge from the pandemic years stronger and with broader membership representation.

For her part, Zahidi called the appointment an honour at what she described as a pivotal moment for aviation. "Aviation is critical infrastructure for economic growth, trade, tourism, jobs, investment, and opportunity," she said, emphasizing IATA's role in uniting the industry through standards, services, and advocacy. She flagged collaboration with member airlines, governments, and industry partners as a priority, alongside innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth with her immediate focus on working alongside the IATA team to shape the industry's path forward.

Zahidi's record at the WEF includes founding and co-authoring the Future of Jobs Report, the Future of Growth Report, the Global Gender Gap Report, and the Chief Economist Outlook series. Her policy experience extends to the UN Secretary-General's panel for Women's Economic Empowerment and the European Space Agency's High-Level Advisory Group. She has also authored Fifty Million Rising, a study of working women's advancement across the Muslim world.

Zahidi holds a BA in Economics from Smith College, an MPhil in International Economics from the Graduate Institute, and an MPA from Harvard University. She carries Swiss and Pakistani nationalities.

Her appointment marks a leadership transition for IATA as the association confronts a shifting geopolitical and technological landscape, with aviation's trillion-dollar footprint, and its role connecting people and economies, central to the mandate she now inherits.