The International Air Transport Association (Iata), the global body which represents some 260 airlines, has announced two senior management appointments.

Gilberto Lopez Meyer ha s been appointed the senior vice president for Safety and Flight Operations, while Nick Careen takes the role of senior vice president for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security.

Meyer will take up his new role on October 19. He will be based in Montreal and he succeeds Kevin Hiatt who left Iata in July. Meyer joins Iata from the Mexican Civil Aviation Authority which he has twice led as its director general (2003-2008 and from 2014 to the present).

"I am confident that Gilberto brings comprehensive knowledge, skills and experience to Iata’s top job for safety and flight operations. His unique perspective from holding senior jobs in flight operations, as a regulator and as airport operator will add tremendous value to Iata’s management team," said Tony Tyler, Iata’s director general and CEO.

"I am excited to be joining the Iata team which is playing a leading role in enhancing safety and driving efficiency in flight operations. My immediate priorities are to continue the push towards predictive safety analysis with the Global Aviation Data Management initiative, the continuous enhancement of Iata’s auditing programs and support for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s efforts on enhancing global aircraft tracking capabilities," said Meyer.

Careen will take up his role on October 1.  He succeeds Tom Windmuller who retired from Iata in August after nearly a quarter century of serving the industry.

Prior to Iata, Careen built his career in Air Canada and its subsidiary Jazz where his last role was as Air Canada Vice President for Airport, Call Centers and Customer Relations, a position he held from 2013 to 2014.

"Nick has the right mix of experience to help our members address the operational challenges that they face in the areas of airports, passenger facilitation, cargo and security by leading the development and implementation of Iata’s global standards and industry programs. With nearly 25 years in the industry covering a large network carrier and a regional operator Nick is well-placed to drive programs such as Fast Travel, e-Air Waybill and Smart Security. And we are counting on him to find even more ways to create and deliver value by linking operational activities," said Tyler.

"In my work at Air Canada and Jazz I have experienced the value of Iata’s leadership in developing global standards that drive efficiency and raise the bar on safety. My first aim will be to deliver on Iata’s current initiatives,” said Careen.

“There is also great potential to develop further Iata’s well-respected tradition of driving change by combining expertise, a unique global perspective and solid industry partnerships. Aviation is a fast-changing industry driven by evolution in customer demands, technology and the regulatory environment.

“Many of the challenges that this creates are in operational areas and can best be met with industry-wide efforts. That’s the remit of Iata. Working with our members and partners I look forward to taking Iata’s APCS activities several steps further in creating value and driving innovation," he added. - TradeArabia News Service