RAFEAL ECHEVARNE APPOINTED NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ACI-LAC

Rafael Echevarne, the current CEO of Sangster International Airport in Jamaica, will be the new director general of ACI-LAC.

He is to replace Javier Martinez, who has successfully led the organisation since 2010, on February 1, 2020.

Echevarne is, of course, no stranger to ACI having worked as the economics director of ACI World before leaving to take up his position at the Montego Bay airport.

In addition to ACI World and MBJ Airports Ltd, the operator of Sangster International Airport, he has held highly strategic roles in airport companies in the United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand and Europe during a 26 year career in the aviation industry.

“We have great expectations about the new drive that Rafael Echevarne will bring to our organisation,” enthused ACI-LAC president, Andrew O’Brian.

“We believe that ACI-LAC must continue to develop a leading role in the region, representing our partners and providing strong leadership to all of our region’s members. There is no doubt that Rafael has the knowledge and experience to take us to the next level in a fast paced and ever changing aviation industry.”

While Echevarne’s former boss, ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, said: “I am delighted to welcome Rafael as the director general of the Latin America-Caribbean Region, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic aviation markets in the world.

“As the former director of economics for ACI World, Rafael broke new ground in representing airports interests to regulators, investors and stakeholders and providing key business intelligence for airport operators.

“He successfully accomplished his goal of bringing the airport sector to its proper place within the industry – as businesses in their own right. We look forward to working with him to bring all his talents to bear for the LAC region and for the industry as a whole.”

Talking about the outgoing Martinez, O’Brian said: “ACI-LAC thanks Javier Martínez for his dedication and great commitment to support the construction of what our organisation has become today and we look forward to a continued collaboration.”