The International Air Transport Association yesterday said it settled $1.3 billion worth of transactions between airlines and travel agencies in the Philippines last year. No comparative figure was provided for 2007.

The international body also announced in a statement the appointment of Rogelio Sarreal as the country manager for the Philippines.

?As country manager, Sarreal will serve as the main point of contact for airlines, travel agents, cargo agents, industry service providers and government agencies in the Philippines on matters relating to IATA,? the agency said.

The association groups 230 member airlines, representing 93 percent all international scheduled air traffic.

Before joining IATA, Sarreal worked for Sabre Travel Network, where he was vice president for Asia-Pacific. There, he worked in Global Distribution Systems providers and American Airlines in the past 23 years.

Sarreal will oversee all of IATA?s initiatives in the Philippines, including safety, security, the environment, as well as management of the IATA Airline-Agency settlement systems for travel and cargo agents, it added.

In 2008, the IATA Billing and Settlement Plan settled about $1.1 billion in remittances between travel agents and airlines in the Philippines, while the Cargo Agents Settlement System settled about $204 million in remittances between cargo agents and airlines.

The association said the global airline industry was in a crisis.

?Passenger and cargo traffic is expected to decline by 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively this year. With industry losses of $5 billion in 2008 and projected losses of $2.5 billion in 2009, a key responsibility for Sarreal will be to promote IATA?s solutions for cost reductions, infrastructure and efficiency improvements,? it said. Roderick T. dela Cruz