De Juniac To Leave Air France-KLM To Lead IATA

Air France-KLM chairman and chief executive Alexandre de Juniac will replace Tony Tyler as the next director and CEO of the International Air Transport Association, the airline said Tuesday. De Juniac indicated to the Air France-KLM board of directors that he would accept IATA’s offer to lead that organization at its general meeting, scheduled for June 1 to 3 in Dublin. The airline said it has prepared a plan to appoint a successor to assume de Juniac’s post by August 1 and that it has already started the process of identifying a suitable executive with the help of an international recruitment consultancy.

“Members of the Air France-KLM Group’s board of directors would like to pay tribute to the outstanding work of Alexandre de Juniac in achieving the group’s economic and financial recovery, enhancing its range of services and winning back customers,” said the airline in a statment. “The Air France-KLM board is delighted that these accomplishments have been recognized in the confidence of the IATA board of governors’ recommendation for Alexandre de Juniac to lead their global association.”

De Juniac will become the first person from a French airline to lead IATA.

De Juniac joins IATA following a three-year term as CEO of Air France-KLM, before which he served for two years as chairman and CEO of Air France. From 1995 to 2009 de Juniac held various leadership positions in French aerospace and defense firm Thales, where he led the company’s operations and sales in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

De Juniac has also held positions in the French government.  His career began with the Conseil d’Etat (State Council) from 1988 to 1993. Subsequently, he served in the Department of Budget as a technical advisor and then as deputy chief of staff in the cabinet of Nicolas Sarkozy (1993-1995); and in the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment as chief of staff to then Minister Christine Lagarde (2009-2011).

“I would like to thank all those at Air France-KLM who for almost five years now have been fully committed to achieving together our recovery and restoring the conditions for growth,” said De Juniac. “Working for Air France-KLM is a source of great pride. I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities until I hand over to my successor at the end of July, and I will continue to defend air transport and all airlines—including Air France-KLM—in my new role.”