IATA names Cathay chief as chairman

IATA has "critical roles to play" - Tyler

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Cathay Pacific Airways ceo Tony Tyler as chairman of the Association's board of governors.

Mr Tyler will serve as chairman for one year. His predecessor, Royal Jordanian Airlines' ceo Samer Majali, served from June last year.

IATA described Mr Tyler as a "32-year veteran of the air transport industry", who has served as Cathay's ceo since 2007.

Mr Tyler said: "The global economic meltdown is hitting the aviation industry hard. A toxic combination of low fares, a large drop in premium travel, and weak cargo loads is hitting the bottom line hard.

"IATA has some critical roles to play. It must protect the US$350 billion in industry cash flowing through its financial systems. It must also find even more efficiency gains-not just by airlines but throughout the industry value chain."

Mr Tyler said much work was needed if the aviation industry was to go "carbon neutral" by 2020.

"As we move towards the climate change treaty negotiations in Copenhagen in December, our industry's united four-pillar strategy on climate change makes us part of the solution," he said.

Tony Tyler

"The industry is committed to achieving carbon-neutral growth by 2020, but to achieve this, we need to focus on bringing governments on board."

Mr Tyler said governments should support improved technology, operations and infrastructure, and reach an agreement "in a post-Kyoto framework."

IATA also announced it will appoint David Bronczek, president and ceo of FedEx Express, as chairman from June 2010. IATA said he would "bring a unique perspective from the air cargo industry".

The announcements were made as the 65th IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit concluded in Kuala Lumpur today.

www.iata.org