Head of Aviation Body IATA to Step Down at End of March 2021

Nov. 23—GENEVA — The CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Alexandre de Juniac, will step down at the end of March 2021, the aviation body announced on Monday.

He will be replaced by Willie Walsh, former CEO of the International Airlines Group ( IAG), the parent company of British Airways, according to a statement from IATA.

"I did not come to this decision lightly," said Juniac. The coronavirus pandemic has made IATA even more relevant as the voice of the international aviation body, according to Juniac.

"The building blocks for an industry recovery are in place. And now is the right time to hand over IATA's leadership for the long process of recovery," he said in the IATA statement.

Juniac joined IATA in September 2016 from Air France/KLM. Walsh had stepped down as leader of IAG in March 2020 and had announced that he was planning to go into retirement.

The announcements were made ahead of IATA's annual general meeting, which will be held online Tuesday due to the pandemic.

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