Oscar Villabona Takes Over as Head of ANAC Following María Julia Cordero’s Departure
On Tuesday, May 27, Argentina’s Official Gazette published Decree 360/2025, through which President Javier Milei formally appointed Oscar Alfredo Villabona as the new National Administrator of the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC). ANAC is a decentralized agency operating under the Secretariat of Transport within the Ministry of Economy.
The decree, dated May 26 and signed by President Milei and Economy Minister Luis Caputo, also accepts the resignation of Dr. María Julia Cordero, who had held the position since January 8, following her appointment by Decree 14/2025.
Effective May 22, 2025, Villabona officially assumes the top position at Argentina’s civil aviation regulatory authority, responsible for the regulation, oversight, and administration of the country’s civil aviation sector, as the sole National Aeronautical Authority, in accordance with Decree 1770/2007.
Oscar Villabona replaces Cordero after nearly a year at the helm of ANAC—including both her interim and confirmed tenures—amid sweeping structural reforms in the national public sector.
During her tenure, Argentina retained its FAA Category 1 Safety Rating and achieved 85.8% compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) operational safety standards, marking significant progress in meeting global aviation benchmarks.
Villabona’s appointment comes at a time when the government is pushing forward major reforms, led by State Deregulation and Transformation Minister Federico Sturzenegger. These changes include the proposed merger of ANAC, ORSNA (the regulatory agency for airport infrastructure), and the Subsecretariat of Air Transport, currently headed by Hernán Gómez, into a single consolidated body.
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According to government sources, Cordero was not slated to lead the new unified agency, and her resignation had been anticipated. Recent amendments to the Aeronautical Code reportedly sparked internal tensions, which were said to be a decisive factor in her departure, as previously reported.
Oscar Alfredo Villabona brings nearly 40 years of experience in both civil and military aviation, with a career rooted in air traffic control and operational management.
He began in 1986 as a ground controller at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, and later served as a radar approach and en-route controller at Tandil, Córdoba, and Ezeiza airports, as well as at Marambio Base in Antarctica.
Among other roles, Villabona was National Director of Air Navigation Inspections at ANAC from 2015 to 2018, and resumed that role in August 2024. He also worked as a professional analyst for the Argentine Air Navigation Company (EANA) from 2019 to 2022..
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