The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has announced that Subhas Menon will take up the position of AAPA Director General starting March 2020.
Menon will replace current head Andrew Herdman, who was to step down after serving as director-general of the association since 2004.
AAPA said Menon has over 35 years of experience in international aviation with the Singapore Airlines Group, having served in a wide spectrum of senior management roles including international relations, marketing, product development, logistics, country & regional management, most recently as Regional Vice President Europe.
"In his various roles in the airline industry over the past three decades, Menon has developed skills that include successfully building and managing relationships with many different stakeholders, strong communications, as well as commercial acumen honed across different regions of the world," the association said in a statement.
Reporting through the Executive Committee to the AAPA Assembly of Presidents, as Director-General, Menon will represent the interests of the AAPA and its member airlines on a wide range of aviation policy issues, working closely with member airlines and other aviation industry stakeholders.
The AAPA is the trade association of international airlines based in the Asia Pacific region. It engages in regular dialogues with national governments and regulators and lobbies actively on issues of common interest to members, such as aviation safety, security, infrastructure, passenger facilitation, regulatory oversight, future growth and environmental sustainability.
"It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as AAPA Director-General, working closely together with AAPA member airlines and helping to voice their views on a wide range of industry and related regulatory issues ... Subhas Menon, with his breadth of international and commercial experience, is very well qualified to lead AAPA in its next phase of development," Herdman said, noting that the Asia Pacific region is already the largest aviation market globally, with further great opportunities ahead of us.
AAPA Chairman 2019 and Chief Executive Officer of Cathay Pacific Airways, Augustus Tang thanked Herdman and welcomed Menon as the incoming Director-General of AAPA.
"We look forward to working closely together to further the mission and work of the Association as we move ahead," Tang said.
For his part, Menon said: "I am honoured to have been chosen to represent and serve the region's airline community as incoming Director-General. I am committed to promoting the sustainable development of Asia Pacific aviation, and increasing AAPA's reach and influence across the region, addressing future challenges and opportunities for aviation in promoting economic and social development."