Airline group IATA taps World Economic Forum's Zahidi as new chief

IATA taps World Economic Forum managing director Saadia Zahidi as its new director general, expanding the industry’s focus on environmental and operational pressures. The International Air Transport Association said Zahidi, the first woman to lead the role, will replace current boss Willie Walsh, who is joining Indian carrier IndiGo. Zahidi will begin on November 1, according to a statement confirming an earlier Reuters report. The move comes as airlines face geopolitical and economic headwinds, with oil prices above $100 a barrel amid Middle East tensions. As director general, Zahidi is also set to address curbing flight pollution, with the net-zero by 2050 goal challenged by shortages of efficient new aircraft and green jet fuel. In a World Economic Forum podcast, she warned that environmental risks were being deprioritized amid attention to geopolitics and geoeconomics.