Airline industry body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Thomas Reynaert senior VP of external affairs, from September 1. He will be responsible for coordinating IATA’s global advocacy efforts from its office in Brussels, Belgium.

“It is critical that governments understand the value aviation creates and the challenges that airlines face as they connect people and economies. Thomas brings knowledge and experience that will help IATA increase the effectiveness of our work with governments and regulators.

"Although he will be based in Brussels, with an immediate focus on EU matters, he will be responsible for leading IATA’s team of advocates globally, including in Washington DC, in the US, and at the International Civil Aviation Organization. Together the IATA advocacy team’s goal is to make it easier for airlines to sustainably generate the economic and social benefits that governments, businesses and people depend on,” says IATA director-general Willie Walsh.

“Global airlines face many challenges. Safely transporting five-billion people and 3.2% of GDP each year is a modern miracle. While doing this critical work, airlines face the burden of onerous taxation, the imperative of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the fragmentation of global standards with novel and potentially value-destroying approaches to everything from slots to passenger rights.

"I’ll be working with governments worldwide for a more productive regulatory environment in which airlines can efficiently compete and grow as they deliver the global connectivity that makes our world a better place,” Reynaert comments.

He joins IATA from IBM where he was VP of government and regulatory affairs for Europe, the Middle East and Africa from 2023.

Prior to working at IBM, he was the founding MD of Airlines for Europe (A4E) and successfully ran A4E from 2016 to 2023. His experience in aviation and technology extends to aerospace, having spent the seven years prior to joining A4E at United Technologies as president of international operations Europe, with a focus on government affairs.