Saadia Zahidi Set to Make History as IATA's First Woman Director General from November 2026
In a landmark decision that signals a new era for global aviation, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has confirmed the appointment of Saadia Zahidi as its next Director General, effective 1 November 2026. She will step into the role as IATA's ninth Director General and, notably, the first woman ever to lead the influential airline industry body. Her elevation carries significant weight for African aviation stakeholders, who stand to benefit from fresh thinking at the helm of an organisation representing the world's carriers.
Zahidi joins IATA from the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she has served as Managing Director and Member of the Managing Board. Over more than two decades at the WEF, she founded and continues to lead its Centre for the New Economy and Society. Her portfolio has included steering the Forum's Global Communications Group, Global Programming Group, and its engagement with academic institutions, civil society bodies and international organisations. She is also the founder and co-author of several influential publications, including the Future of Jobs Reports, the Future of Growth Reports, the Global Gender Gap Reports and Chief Economist Outlooks.
Her incoming role fills the seat currently held by Willie Walsh, who will conclude his tenure as Director General on 31 July 2026. To bridge the transition, the IATA Board has appointed Sandrine Le Borgne, presently Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Corporate Services at IATA, as Interim Director General for the three months in between.
Announcing the appointment, Roberto Alvo, Chair of the IATA Board of Directors and Chief Executive of LATAM Airlines Group, praised Zahidi's credentials, noting that her extensive experience at the WEF will strengthen IATA as the collective voice of the world's airlines. He emphasised that global air transport is a trillion-dollar sector that continues to reshape the world in positive ways. According to Alvo, Zahidi arrives at a moment of profound change in the international environment, where technology and geopolitics will redefine the future of aviation. He also paid tribute to Walsh's leadership, crediting him with steering IATA out of the COVID-19 crisis stronger and with a broader membership base than before.
For her part, Zahidi described her appointment as an honour and reaffirmed that aviation is critical infrastructure for economic growth, trade, tourism, jobs, investment and opportunity. She emphasised the importance of IATA's role in bringing the industry together through trusted standards, essential services and advocacy, particularly in a fast-shifting global landscape. Her stated priorities include working closely with member airlines, governments and industry partners to advance innovation, resilience and sustainable growth, while extending the benefits of connectivity to more people and economies worldwide.
For Africa's travel and tourism industry, Zahidi's appointment carries strong implications. The continent's aviation sector has long grappled with challenges ranging from high operating costs and limited intra-African connectivity to sustainability pressures and the slow pace of implementing the Single African Air Transport Market. A leader with deep expertise in economic transformation, workforce development and gender inclusion may well champion the type of policy dialogue that African carriers, airports and tourism authorities urgently require. Her background in tracking future-of-work trends could also prove vital as African aviation invests in skills, digital transformation and youth employment.
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 holds Swiss and Pakistani nationalities and is the author of Fifty Million Rising, a book documenting the rise of working women across the Muslim world. Her arrival at IATA promises a fresh chapter that African aviation professionals will be watching with keen interest as the industry charts its next decade of growth.
