Vijay Poonoosamy, Singapore
Vijay Poonoosamy is an Honorary Member of the Hermes Air Transport Organisation, a Non-Executive Member of the Board of the Veling Group, and a member of the Advisory Board of the World Tourism Forum Lucerne and of the World Economic Forum’s Gender Parity Steering Committee.
Vijay is a barrister (Middle Temple) with a law degree from the University of Nottingham, a Master’s degree in International Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science (with specialization in Air & Space Law), a Post Graduate Diploma in Air & Space Law from the London Institute of World Affairs and a Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors in New Zealand. Vijay is blessed with a supportive wife and two wonderful daughters.
Vijay was the Managing Director of Air Mauritius, Special Adviser (International Civil Aviation) and Member of the Public/Private Consultative Group in the Prime Minister’s Office of Mauritius, the Executive Chairman of Airports of Mauritius, the Vice President International Affairs of the Etihad Aviation Group and Senior Adviser, International Civil Aviation Affairs, UAE Mission to ICAO. He was also Chairman of the 4th ICAO Worldwide Air Transport Conference, the ICAO Special Group on the Warsaw Convention Governing International Air Transport, the Air Transport Committee of the African Civil Aviation Commission, IATA’s Industry Affairs Committee, IATA’s Legal Advisory Council and IATA’s Task Force on International Aviation Issues. Vijay was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Mobility, the World Travel & Tourism Council Advisors Circle, the World Routes Advisory Panel, the Board of Directors of US Travel Association and the Board of Governors of the International Aviation Club of Washington, DC.
Vijay was a Moderator at ICAO’s ICAN Symposia of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014, the 2012 ICAO Air Transport Symposium, the 2013 ICAO Pre-Air Transport Conference Symposium, the 2015 ICAO Meeting on the sustainable development of Air transport in Africa, the 2016 ICAO Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Global Symposium, the ICAO 2017 Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP) Regional Seminar and the 2018 ICAO Global TRIP Symposium and Exhibition. He was the Moderator of the CEOs’ Roundtable at the 50th AFRAA Annual General Assembly and Summit and the Joint Industry Group for Africa Aeropolitical Forum in 2018 and a Moderator at AFRAA’s 8th Aviation Stakeholders Convention on 13 May 2019. He will also be the Moderator of the two inaugural interactive sessions at the June 2019 ICAO Global TRIP Symposium and Exhibition at the ICAO Headquarters in Montreal.
Vijay’s over 30 years’ experience in the aviation sector has enabled him to build solid ties with ICAO and all its stakeholders, including with UNWTO and national and regional tourism authorities and consolidated his ability and reputation for progressive consensus building.
I believe in and promote the multiplier value of international civil aviation for cities, provinces, countries, regions and the world.
I also believe in and promote the contribution of tourism to national and regional socio-economic development, including jobs.
The airline and tourism industries are interdependent. With so many jobs lost, severe drops in income, the on-going health concerns and psychological impact, travel restrictions and the dire airline industry, tourism revival is not going to happen soon. And this will have another negative impact on the ailing airline industry.
Hence the timeliness of and need for #rebuildingtravel
