RIYADH: Senior figures from the aviation industry are set to gather for a meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Qatar’s Doha for three days starting June 19.
The 78th IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit will also attract leading government officials, strategic partners, equipment suppliers, and media.
Qatar Airways is the host airline of the event.
“This year’s AGM is another momentous occasion: Airlines are simultaneously recovering from the COVID-19 crisis, setting the path to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, working to improve gender diversity, and adapting to a geopolitical environment that is undergoing its greatest shock in over three decades,” Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general said.
“It is an absolute privilege to be hosting our industry partners in Qatar Airways’ home city, particularly during our milestone 25th year of operations,” Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker said.
He added: “Coming together face-to-face provides us with the opportunity to discuss lessons learnt from our recent years during the pandemic, global issues affecting us all in the here and now, and to plan the best way forward for the industry.”
This will be the fourth time that the AGM is hosted in the Middle East, according to the statement.
World Air Transport Summit
The WATS opens immediately following the AGM.
The event will host the third edition of the Diversity and Inclusion Awards, sponsored by Qatar Airways, to recognize organizations and individuals that are making a difference in helping to drive the industry’s ’25by2025′ initiative to make the aviation industry more gender balanced.
The WATS will also include a CEO Insights Panel moderated by CNN’s Richard Quest and featuring Abkar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group CEO, along with Avianca CEO Adrian Neuhauser, KLM CEO Pieter Elbers and Jayne Hrdlicka, CEO of Virgin Australia.
The event will discuss the updated industry economic outlook, the war in Ukraine and its implications for the globalized world and the challenges to achieving sustainability, including net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Key topics to be discussed also include reducing the use of single use plastics, allocating scarce airport capacity, and ensuring safe carriage of lithium batteries.
A CFO Insights Panel will also take place for the first time this year.
Aviation in the region normally supports some 3.4 million jobs and $213 billion in economic activity, the statement said.
“According to the most recent figures, the region’s airlines account for 6.5 percent of global international passenger traffic and 13.4 percent of freight movements. Much of this growth has occurred in the Gulf region, as is typified by our host airline,” said Walsh.