"Air transport continues to face many challenges. I look forward to the coming year as an opportunity to work with the IATA team to push for much needed change across the industry," said Chew. "Change begins at home and the first priorities will be successfully moving forward with the IATA Operational Safety Audit and Simplifying the Business. At the same time, I look forward to working with Giovanni to shout politely for greater efficiency from our partners and more commercial freedom from governments."
Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO said, "First, we must thank Robert for his leadership and support over the last year and for a job well-done. I am confident that Choon Seng will bring a new perspective to the role of Chairman while continuing the drive for change across the industry. The agenda is full, but I am confident that together we will continue to deliver the important results that the industry needs."
The IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit concluded in Paris today. The 800 delegates gathered for the event discussed the industry's most important issues, including safety, efficiency, liberalisation, fuel efficiency, and the environment. Full content of the AGM can be found on www.iata.org/events/agm/2006/.
Among the last orders of business for the 2006 AGM was approval of the next World Air Transport Summit and IATA Annual General Meeting to be held in Vancouver 3-5 June 2007. "We appreciate the kind offer of Robert Milton and the Air Canada team to reconvene in Vancouver next year. In the interim, we need governments and our value chain partners to heed our wake-calls and get on board with change," said Bisignani.
Notes for Editors
1. Governors of the Board of IATA
Mr Chew Choon Seng
Chief Executive Officer
SINGAPORE AIRLINES LIMITED
Members:
Mr Gerard Arpey
President and Chief Executive Officer
AMERICAN AIRLINES
Dr Khaled A. Ben-Bakr
Director General
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES CORP.
Mr David Bronczek
President and Chief Executive Officer
FEDEX EXPRESS
Mr Philip Chen
Chief Executive Officer
CATHAY PACIFIC
Mr Yang Ho Cho
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
KOREAN AIR LINES CO. LTD.
Mr Giancarlo Cimoli
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
ALITALIA
Mr Fernando Conte
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
IBERIA, LINEAS AEREAS DE ESPAÑA S.A.
Mr Enrique Cueto
Chief Executive Officer
LAN AIRLINES S.A.
Mr Geoff Dixon
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
QANTAS
Mr János Gönci
Chief Executive Officer
MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES
Mr Gerald Grinstein
Chief Executive Officer
DELTA AIR LINES
Mr Pedro Heilbron
Chief Executive Officer
COPA AIRLINES
Mr Temel Kotil
President and Chief Executive Officer
TURKISH AIRLINES
Mr Liu Shaoyong
Chairman
CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES
Mr Samer A. Majali
Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
ROYAL JORDANIAN
Mr Wolfgang Mayrhuber
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
LUFTHANSA
Mr Robert Milton
Chairman
AIR CANADA
Eng. Atef Abdel Hamid Mostafa
Chairman
EGYPTAIR
Mr Titus Naikuni
Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
KENYA AIRWAYS
Mr Valery M. Okulov
Director General and Chief Executive Officer
AEROFLOT
Mr Fernando Pinto
Chief Executive Officer
TAP PORTUGAL
Mr Nelson Ramiz
President and Chief Executive Officer
AEROPOSTAL ALAS DE VENEZUELA C.A.
Mr Toshiyuki Shinmachi
President and Group Chief Executive Officer
JAPAN AIRLINES
Mr Jean-Cyril Spinetta
Chairman
AIR FRANCE
Mr Douglas Steenland
Chief Executive Officer
NORTHWEST AIRLINES CORPORATION
Mr Vasudevan Thulasidas
Chairman and Managing Director
AIR INDIA
Mr Glenn F. Tilton
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
UNITED AIRLINES
Mr Leo M. van Wijk
President and Chief Executive Officer
KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES
Mr Girma Wake
Chief Executive Officer
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
Mr Willie Walsh
Chief Executive Officer
BRITISH AIRWAYS p.l.c.
2. Recent Chairmen include
2005-2006 Robert Milton, Air Canada
2004-2005 Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Air France
2002-2005 Isao Kaneko, Japan Airlines
2001-2002 Xabier de Irala, Iberia
2000-2001 Leo F. Mullen, Delta Air Lines
1999-2000 James Strong, QANTAS