IATA ropes in Spicejet’s Ajay Singh to its Board of Governors

June 4, 2019: Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director of SpiceJet, has been appointed on the Board of Governors (BoG) of International Air Transport Association (IATA) for a three-year term effective from the conclusion of the 75th IATA AGM in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Singh will be the only Indian on the Board of Governors of IATA, the world's biggest airline grouping. IATA represents some 290 airlines comprising 82 percent of global air traffic and plays a key role in helping formulate global policies on critical aviation-related issues. SpiceJet became the first Indian LCC to join IATA as a member in March 2019.

As a member of the board of governors, Singh will participate in providing policy directives and guidance to IATA industry committees and to their subsidiary bodies.

Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director, SpiceJet, said, "It is a matter of great honour for me to be inducted into the Board of Governors of IATA and to represent and serve the airline industry. It also reiterates India's leadership role on the global aviation map. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues on the IATA Board of Governors to drive the sustainability agenda whilst facilitating further growth and development of the aviation industry across the globe."

Over the years, Singh has received numerous recognitions from global aviation and tourism bodies. In January 2019, he became the first Indian to chair the Aviation, Travel and Tourism (ATT) Governor's Meeting at the World Economic Forum, Davos. He is also the chairman of the CII National Committee on Civil Aviation and Vice Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council, India Initiative (WTTCII).

Singh launched SpiceJet in 2005 with the objective of making flying affordable for all. After a successful tenure, he exited from the airline in 2010 before buying it back again from near shut down in 2015. He has since scripted one of the most remarkable turnaround stories in global aviation.