Former Cathay Pacific chief executive and International Air transport Association director general Tony Tyler is headed to the Qantas board. Outgoing Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford announced on Thursday the intention to appoint  Tyler to the board, saying he had significant experience in commercial aviation as well as in Key overseas markets. The seasoned airline executive will join the board in October 2018, subject to shareholder approval. Tyler was with Cathay Pacific from 1978 and held a series of commercial, operational and management roles in Europe, North America and Asia. He was the Hong Kong carrier’s chief operating officer from 2005 to 2007 and its chief executive from 2077-11. He headed IATA, the global airline lobby group, from 2011 to 2016, and has served on various airline boards. Current board appointments include BOC Aviation and Bombardier and he has also been on the Dragonair, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company and UK-based national Airt Traffic Services (NATS) boards His knowledge of the growing Chinese market will be particularly useful to the Flying Kangaroo. Clifford said Tyler was one of the world’s most seasoned airline executives with an involvement in commercial aviation spanning almost 40 years. “His industry knowledge runs deep and so does his experience of doing business in Asia, which is a key market for the Qantas Group," he said in the announcement. “Tony’s perspective will be a valuable addition to the knowledge already on the Board,” Tyler said he was excited to join the Qantas board. “Qantas is one of the world’s most iconic airlines and it continues to be responsible for a lot of innovation in commercial aviation,’’ he said. Clifford is due to step down in October after 11 years as chair of the Qantas board and will be succeeded by current board member and former Wesfarmers chief executive Richard Goyder. Read Richard Goyder to be new Qantas chairman.