Saadia Zahidi has been appointed as the next director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), effective November 1, 2026, becoming the first woman to lead the global airline industry body. She will succeed Willie Walsh, who stepped down on July 31, with IATA Chief Financial Officer Sandrine Le Borgne serving as interim director general until Zahidi assumes the role.
Zahidi joins IATA from the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she has 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 has co-authored the organisation’s Future of Jobs, Future of Growth and Global Gender Gap reports, as well as its Chief Economist Outlooks. She will become IATA’s ninth director general.
Zahidi’s appointment comes as the aviation industry navigates technological, geopolitical and economic changes. She has identified collaboration with IATA and the wider industry as a key priority, with a focus on aviation’s role in supporting economic growth, trade, tourism, jobs and investment. Her appointment marks a significant leadership milestone for IATA as it continues to promote global aviation standards, services and policy advocacy.
