The 78th annual general meeting of IATA and the World Air Transport Summit concluded in Doha.
Held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani attended the formal opening session of the 78th AGM.
The three-day event hosted by Qatar Airways attracted the industry’s most senior leaders from among IATA’s 290 member airlines, as well as leading government officials, strategic partners, equipment suppliers, and media.
In a tweet last night, IATA said, “The 78th edition of the IATA AGM has now concluded. Thank you Qatar Airways for hosting such a memorable event. We have truly enjoyed our stay in Doha.”
IATA also said the 79th AGM and World Air Transport Summit hosted by Pegasus Airlines will be held in June next year at Istanbul, Turkey.
Doha first hosted the IATA AGM in 2014. And it was the fourth time the AGM was hosted in the Middle East.
In normal times, aviation in the region supports some 3.4mn jobs and $213bn in economic activity.
In a statement Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said, “Since we were last in Doha, the region has only increased its importance to global connectivity. According to the most recent figures, the region’s airlines account for 6.5% of global international passenger traffic and 13.4% of freight movements. Much of this growth has occurred in the Gulf region, as is typified by our host airline.
Source: Civil Aviation Authority-Qatar