The President of International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s US cargo organisation, Cargo Network Services (CNS) is set to step down from his position by year-end as part of the industry group's wider restructuring amid the intense impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation sector.
IATA said Michael White, who has held the position since 2018, has taken voluntary redundancy. He has been at CNS for more than 12 years.
Meanwhile, IATA said that it will name a new president in advance prior to White's departure.
“As an aviation-related organisation, IATA has been deeply impacted by the crisis brought on by COVID-19 and the resulting government lockdowns and border closures,” IATA said.
“Early on, our senior management took voluntary pay cuts and we drastically reduced our spending. As the crisis has continued, we have also launched an organisational restructuring to ensure IATA and our subsidiaries, including CNS, are well-positioned to sustainably support our members during and after the crisis.”
The airline organization noted that CNS Cargo Accounts Settlement System (CASS) will continue in that role moving forward after the leadership transition although there will be a restructuring.
“CNS was created as an independent subsidiary to serve as IATA’s CASS and cargo agent endorsement programme in the United States. CNS CASS will continue in that role, moving forward after the leadership transition," IATA said.
Restructuring program for CNS
“As part of the restructuring, the IATA regional cargo team in Miami and the Washington office will primarily be responsible for advancing the US cargo agenda," it added, noting that CNS will focus on its core mission on ensuring that the CASS continues to meet the needs of the US cargo industry.
“In this way, we will ensure the viability of CNS and preserve the needed capabilities to support the air cargo industry in the US.”
Just last month, IATA also confirmed that Glyn Hughes, its global head of cargo, is set to depart his post in January 2021 also taking a voluntary departure scheme.
