The head of Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines has been appointed chair of the Iata board of governors.
The low cost carrier’s chief executive Mehmet Nane will commence his term at the airline trade body in June 2022 as Iata stages its annual meeting in Shanghai.
He will succeed current chair Robin Hayes, boss of JetBlue.
Nane said: “I am very proud to be taking on such an important role. This is also a great indicator as to how far Turkish aviation has come.
“The aviation industry, which propels many other sectors in addition to its own critical role, is going through one of the most challenging times in its history.
“As Iata, which today represents 82% of total air traffic, equating to 290 member airlines from 120 countries, the biggest task ahead of us is to work so that our industry, which is a driving force of world economies, returns to pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible and continues its sustainable growth.
“I will work tirelessly towards these goals. We will overcome these challenging times by joining our forces together.”