Saadia Zahidi to Make History as IATA’s First Female Director General
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has named Saadia Zahidi as its next Director General, making her the first woman to head the global airline association in its history.
The appointment, announced by IATA’s Board of Directors, will take effect from 1 November 2026. Zahidi will become the organisation’s ninth Director General, succeeding Willie Walsh, who will step down on 31 July 2026 after completing his tenure.
To ensure continuity in the leadership of the association, the Board has appointed IATA’s Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Corporate Services, Sandrine Le Borgne, as Interim Director General until Zahidi assumes office.
Zahidi joins IATA from the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she has spent more than 20 years in various senior leadership positions. She currently serves as Managing Director and Member of the Managing Board, overseeing initiatives focused on the future of economies, societies and labour markets.
Announcing the appointment, Chairman of the IATA Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of LATAM Airlines Group, Roberto Alvo, said Zahidi’s extensive international experience and strategic leadership would strengthen IATA’s ability to represent the interests of airlines at a time when the aviation industry is facing profound global changes.
According to him, aviation has grown into a trillion-dollar industry that plays a vital role in connecting people, facilitating trade, supporting tourism and driving economic development across the world.
He noted that rapid technological advancement, geopolitical developments and the growing demand for sustainable aviation require strong leadership capable of guiding the industry through a new era of transformation.
Alvo expressed confidence that Zahidi possesses the skills and experience to articulate the needs of the global airline industry while introducing fresh perspectives that would complement IATA’s established strengths in technical expertise, financial systems, operational standards and industry data.
He also commended the outgoing Director General, Willie Walsh, for steering the association through the unprecedented challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alvo said Walsh’s leadership helped position IATA for long-term success by strengthening its global membership and reinforcing its influence as the leading voice of the airline industry.
“We now look forward to Saadia taking IATA’s work to even greater heights,” he said.
Speaking after her appointment, Zahidi said she was honoured to be entrusted with leading an organisation that has played a critical role in shaping global aviation.
She described air transport as essential infrastructure that supports economic growth, trade, tourism, employment, investment and opportunity across nations.
According to her, the aviation industry is operating in an increasingly complex and fast-changing environment, making IATA’s role in bringing airlines together through common standards, advocacy and essential services more important than ever.
She pledged to work closely with member airlines, governments and industry partners to strengthen collaboration while ensuring that aviation continues to connect people and economies safely, efficiently and sustainably.
Zahidi said innovation, resilience and sustainable growth would be central to her leadership agenda as IATA seeks to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities within the global aviation sector.
She added that her immediate priority would be to work with the IATA team and stakeholders across the industry to build on the association’s strong foundations and shape the future of aviation.
Before joining IATA, Zahidi built an impressive career at the World Economic Forum, where she founded and currently leads the Centre for the New Economy and Society.
The centre focuses on helping governments and businesses prepare for changing labour markets, economic transformation and social development.
Throughout her career at the WEF, she also headed the organisation’s Global Communications Group, Global Programming Group and its engagement with academic institutions, civil society organisations and international bodies.
She is recognised globally for producing influential research on economic and social issues and is the founder and co-author of several flagship World Economic Forum publications, including the Future of Jobs Report, Future of Growth Report, Global Gender Gap Report and the Chief Economist Outlook.
Her international engagements have also included serving on the United Nations Secretary-General’s Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment and the European Space Agency’s High-Level Advisory Group.
In addition, Zahidi is the author of Fifty Million Rising, a book examining the increasing participation of women in the workforce across Muslim-majority countries.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Smith College, a Master of Philosophy in International Economics from The Graduate Institute and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
Zahidi is a dual national of Switzerland and Pakistan. Her appointment is widely seen as a landmark moment for IATA and the global aviation industry, not only because she becomes the first woman to lead the association, but also because she takes over at a time when airlines are navigating technological innovation, sustainability commitments, changing geopolitical realities and growing demand for global connectivity.
