Johannesburg - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Lance Brogden Regional Vice President for Africa. Brogden, who takes over from Vinod Chidambaram, will join IATA on 1 July.
As Regional Vice President for Africa, Brogden will oversee all of IATA’s initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa in a broad portfolio that includes safety, security, Simplifying the Business, environment as well as managing IATA’s African Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) that processes US$7 billion annually. IATA has 23 sub-Saharan African members. The Johannesburg Regional office is the focal point, supporting sub-regional offices in Nairobi, Dakar and Lagos.
Brogden, a South African national, joins IATA from Air Botswana where he has been CEO since 2005. Prior to joining the airline industry, Brogden served as CEO of International Strategic Solutions (PTY) LTD from 1999 to 2005 and Director of Avis Rent-a-Car from 1996 to 1999. He was Head of Strategy Consulting with Arthur Andersen and then Coopers & Lybrand during 1994-1996.
“With oil at US$130 per barrel, and the global industry set to lose at least US$2.3 billion, it’s a tough environment for aviation. The game has changed completely and the challenges for Africa’s carriers are enormous,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO. “Lance Brogden understands the challenges from the perspective of running an African airline. He brings hands-on experience and innovation to IATA’s African team at a critical juncture. I am confident that Lance will deliver results that contribute to the successful development of air transport in this region - an industry that supports 430,000 jobs and US$9 billion in economic activity in Africa.”
“The number one priority is safety. With 4.3 accidents per million flights, flying in Africa is six times less safe than the global average. IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is improving safety worldwide and strengthening IATA as a quality association. In six months, carriers are either on the registry or out of IATA. Our goal is to bring all African members in line with the IOSA standards. To do so, we are investing US$8.2 million in safety programmes tailored for African carriers. Making the most of this investment to bring all 23 sub-Saharan African members onto the registry is at the top of my to-do list,” said Brogden.
“Vinod successfully led IATA’s activities in the region since 2004. He firmly established the regional office in Johannesburg and developed a sub-regional series of offices to allow IATA to more closely serve its members and deliver relevant change. I thank Vinod for his important contributions,” said Bisignani.
IATA’s mission is to lead, represent and serve the airline industry. IATA brings together some 230 member airlines accounting for 93% of all international scheduled air traffic.