Andres Conesa becomes first Mexican chairperson of IATA board of governors

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently announced that Andres Conesa, CEO of Aeromexico, has been named chairperson of its board of governors for a one-year term -- he will be the first Mexican to hold the position.

Conesa succeeds Calin Rovinescu, CEO of Air Canada, who will continue to serve on IATA’s board of governors and the chair committee.

Conesa has led Aeromexico, Mexico’s largest airline since 2005, after a career that included several key, finance-related posts in the Mexican public administration. He has served as a member of the IATA board of governors since 2008.

Conesa said he looks forward to taking up the board challenges, one of which is the decisions on climate change that will be addressed by governments at the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2016.

“IATA plays a vital role in the aviation industry by managing global settlement systems, spearheading advocacy efforts and constantly evolving the global standards on which aviation relies,” Conesa said. “I am eager to work closely with director general and CEO Tony Tyler and the entire IATA team to promote the better understanding of aviation among our key stakeholders and to help drive important initiatives that will make it ever safer, more efficient and sustainably profitable.”