Roberto Alvo is Chairman of the Board of Directors of IATA | News
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines Group, has assumed the position of Chairman of IATA’s Board of Directors. His one-year term began at the end of the IATA’s 82nd Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 8, 2026.
Alvo is the 84th Chairman of the IATA Board of Directors, where he has been a member since 2020. Alvo succeeds Luis Gallego, CEO of International Airlines Group (IAG). Gallego will remain a member of the Board of Directors.
“Aviation is at a defining moment, with an increasingly important role in connecting people, enabling trade and supporting economic development around the world. Chairing IATA’s Board of Directors at this time is a responsibility I take on with great dedication. As we navigate a more complex environment, our industry must continue to work together to strengthen safety, improve efficiency, promote sustainability and unlock the benefits of connectivity to more people and communities. I look forward to working together to work with IATA’s members, governments and industry partners to ensure aviation remains a force for opportunity, resilience and growth,” said Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines Group.
Alvo has over 25 years of experience in the aviation industry. He joined LAN Airlines (now LATAM Airlines Group) in 2001 and held various leadership positions in financial, commercial and strategic functions before being appointed CEO in 2020. Shortly after becoming CEO, Alvo led LATAM through the Chapter 11 restructuring process and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing the group’s successful transformation and emergence in 2022.
Under Alvo’s leadership, LATAM has strengthened its position as the leading aviation group in Latin America, expanded connectivity in the region and to international markets, advanced its sustainability agenda and delivered strong operational and financial performance. Today, LATAM serves more than 161 destinations in 27 countries and plays a key role in connecting South America within the region and to the world.
“Luis Gallego has been a diligent and tireless Chairman of the IATA Board of Directors, especially as we navigated the complex issues of modernizing IATA’s governance. I personally thank him for his strong support. The Board of Directors will be in very safe hands as leadership transitions to Roberto Alvo. Having led LATAM Airlines Group through significant challenges to achieve profits, he has the experience we need to help IATA meet the needs of its members in difficult times. We have already seen an example of his support for IATA’s work in generously hosting and chairing a successful AGM in Rio de Janeiro,” said Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA.
