Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho was reelected to the board of governors for the International Air Transport Association Monday, officials said.

His reelection came at the 69th IATA annual general meeting and world air transport summit in Cape Town, South Africa.

It is his seventh election to the board since 1996. 

With reelection, Cho will work for the international aviation industry along with chief executives of 30 other major airlines for three years. Cho is also chief executive officer of Korean Air, a key subsidiary of Hanjin Group.

His reelection is in recognition of his know-how and experience accumulated from managing the global logistics group for over 30 years, Korean Air officials said. He played a leading role in setting policies to tide the aviation industry over during global business crises such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the outbreak of SARS in 2003 and the global economic downturn in 2009, they added.

Established in 1945, the IATA is the world’s largest international cooperation body of airlines. Currently, it has 240 civilian airlines as members.

The board of governors is IATA’s government with its members exercising an oversight and executive role on behalf of the whole membership. It consists of one chairman and 30 members, all of whom are chief executives of airlines.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)