DOHA: Qatar Airways is hosting the four-day International Air Transport Association World Financial Symposium, the largest gathering of financial leaders in the aviation industry since before the coronavirus pandemic.
The conference, which runs until Sept. 22, is being held under the patronage of Qatari Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al-Sulaiti and will focus on reshaping airline resilience in the aftermath of the virus outbreak.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al-Baker said: “We are honored to be hosting the first in-person World Financial Symposium since 2019, especially during our milestone year, celebrating 25 years of operations.
“This vital symposium will bring together financial leaders from airlines and from our many supply chain partners to discuss and debate the path forward and the challenges to be overcome.”
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said: “We are excited to bring the World Financial Symposium to Doha for the first time.
“As the industry continues to recover, the role of finance in rebuilding balance sheets and supporting our sustainability agenda will take center stage in the important discussions taking place over the next few days.”
A highlight of the WFS opening plenary will be a live discussion with Al-Baker and Walsh on the theme of the industry’s future.
Sessions will address topics including, environmental, social, and corporate governance, and sustainable finance trends, achieving carbon net zero by 2050, financial risk management, the road to airline retailing, and customer centricity.
The conference will also examine the future of airline payments and payments as a value creator, as well as understand and prepare for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s BEPS (base erosion and profit sharing) 2.0 project.
In addition, IATA Chief Economist Marie Owens Thomsen will present to the conference a review of the industry’s economic outlook and resilience.
In June, Qatar Airways hosted more than 1,000 delegates and aviation leaders from around the world at the 78th IATA annual general meeting and World Air Transport Summit, the industry’s largest annual event.