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IATA AGM: Yvonne Manzi Makolo chairs IATA Board of Governors

eNethersole — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 11:24:41 +0000

This became effective from the conclusion of the 79th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Istanbul, today.

Makolo is the 81st chair of the IATA BoG and the first woman to take on this role. She has served on the BoG since November 2020. She succeeds Pegasus Airlines Chairperson of the Board Mehmet Tevfik Nane who will continue to serve on the BoG.

“I am honoured and pleased to take on this important role. IATA plays a critical role for all airlines—big and small, various business models, and in all corners of the world. Leading a medium-sized airline in Africa gives me a unique perspective on issues that airlines hold in common. At the top of the agenda are decarbonisation, improving safety, the transformation to modern airline retailing, and ensuring we have cost-efficient infrastructure. I am particularly pleased to be taking on this role as IATA launches Focus Africa with the aim of unifying the continent’s stakeholders so that together we can strengthen the contribution of aviation to Africa’s social and economic development,” said Makolo.

Posted date

Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo has assumed her duties as Chair of the IATA Board of Governors (BoG) for a one-year term.

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IATA AGM: Schiphol and South Africa named and shamed in Walsh warning

aPeaford — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:20:58 +0000

That was the key concern announced by IATA director general Willie Walsh as he gave his annual report on the state of the industry at the association's AGM in Istanbul today.

Walsh selected South Africa, the Netherlands, and the EU for particular attention.

Pointing out that industry had “wafer thin” margins of just $2.25 per passenger – “the value retained by airlines for the average plane trip won’t even buy a subway ticket in NYC” – but this was at risk because of some actions by airports and government actions.

Describing Schiphol Airport as “the worst in the world”, Walsh said: “Schiphol has no shame. After a self-made operational disaster in 2022 the airport continues its three-year 37% charges hike—with 12% this year.

“In South Africa, airports want a 38% charges increase, only to be outdone by ATC demands for a 63% hike.

“And, back to Europe, airlines are paying for a €1.9 billion addition to the air traffic management cost base in 2022. You’d expect good performance. But delays were triple what was anticipated. And capacity and environment targets were missed,” Walsh said.

“With such bad behavior on open display, calls for lighter touch economic regulation of our monopoly suppliers must not be taken seriously by any government,” Walsh said. “Considering these many challenges, that airlines are turning a profit at the industry level is truly impressive.”

Walsh said the financial performances are improving.

“Airline financial performance in 2023 is beating expectations. Stronger profitability is supported by several positive developments. China lifted COVID-19 restrictions earlier in the year than anticipated. Cargo revenues remain above pre-pandemic levels even though volumes have not. And, on the cost side, there is some relief. Jet fuel prices, although still high, have moderated over the first half of the year,” he said.

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Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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Although airlines are currently moving toward a profitable, safe, efficient and sustainable future after the rigours of the pandemic years, the industry is being hit by governments and airports who are taking unilateral decisions that threaten the financial recovery of the air transport industry.

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African Aerospace: April - June 2023

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Money talks as Africa misses out on star trainers

pIvanova — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:46:47 +0000

Defence 05 June 2023

Money talks as Africa misses out on star trainers

Military pilot training across the African continent is, in general, poorly resourced and in relatively sad shape.

Some 17 African air forces have no fixed-wing training aircraft at all, and 10 more have fewer than half-a-dozen training aircraft on charge.

Many air arms rely on sending pilots overseas for training, principally to China and Russia, though others are making efforts to improve their in-country training, sometimes by recapitalising their training fleets.

Sadly, the leading aircraft in the global training market are mostly notable by their absence in Africa, due mainly to budgetary constraints. There are, thus, no Pilatus PC-21s, no KAI T-50s, and no Leonardo M346s in service with African air forces.

Instead, some of the most numerous training aircraft include the SIAI Marchetti SF260 (about 114 in use), the Pilatus PC-7 (80), the Embraer EMB312 Tucano (82), the Aero L-39 Albatros (119), and the Hongdu K-8 (182).

There are also a plethora of (often much older) aircraft types, which serve in much smaller numbers – from South Africa’s and Zimbabwe’s BAE Systems Hawks; Dassault Alpha Jets in Cameroon, Togo and Egypt; Soko G-2 Galebs in Libya; and a handful of MB326s and MB339s in Togo and Eritrea.

There are even SOCATA TB30 Epsilons in Senegal and Togo – though these serve only in very small numbers. Most of these types are nearing the end of their lives – even where the individual airframes have hours left ‘on the clock’, they are becoming increasingly difficult to support and sustain.

Perhaps surprisingly, in view of the climate, relatively large numbers of carbon fibre composite Grobs are in service, with 74 G115s in Egypt, six G120TPs in Ethiopia, and five G120As and nine G120TPs in Kenya, with two more G120TPs on order.

The popularity of the SF260 was due to its performance (the aircraft was famously described as “the fastest normally aspirated piston single in production”), its ability to operate from short and semi-prepared runways, and its simple but rugged all-metal airframe. The type will not be easy to replace, and especially not at an affordable price.

The large number of L-39s is a result of the type’s status as the standard Soviet/Warsaw Pact trainer, which led to it being supplied to many developing world nations as part of military aid packages, either free of charge or at highly subsidised prices.

The K-8 has similarly sometimes been supplied as part of Chinese air packages, but has also found a niche in direct commercial sales, thanks to its very low price.

Both the L-39 and the K-8 have also provided a useful light attack capability, and not all of the aircraft in service in Africa are used for advanced training.

Versatile: Embraer’s Super Tucano is primarily used as a light attack aircraft in Africa, though some air forces use the type for training and operational missions. This one wears Nigerian Air Force markings. Picture: SNC.

In Nigeria, for example, it is armed jet trainers, in the form of the L-39 and Alpha Jet, that have shouldered much of the burden of combat operations against Boko Haraam and other insurgents.

The Chinese Hongdu L-15 may well prove to be the K-8’s natural successor, having already found a berth with the Zambian Air Force, while the Yak-130 promises to be the trainer of choice for any air force still wedded to Russian equipment. Some 16 of the latter are in service with the Algerian Air Force.

The Guizhou JL-9, also known as the FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle, is in service in Sudan, and represents another option for advanced and weapons training. It was developed from the JJ-7/FT-7, the two-seat trainer version of Chengdu J-7, which was a Chinese derivative of the MiG-21. The FTC-2000 has a new wing, forward fuselage, glass cockpit and air intakes married to the engine, empennage, and controls of the JJ-7/FT-7.

Of the newer trainer aircraft, the Embraer EMB314 Super Tucano has enjoyed some sales success in Africa, though primarily as an operational close air support and light attack aircraft, while Turkey’s Hürkuş has similarly been sold in Africa in its armed form.

The number of Hürkuş aircraft ordered by Niger and Libya has not been announced, but Super Tucano deliveries to African customers now exceed 34 aircraft.

In July 2011, the Mauritanian Air Force announced that it was considering the acquisition of Super Tucano aircraft. Negotiations for four Super Tucanos started in December 2011, and on October 19 2012, Embraer delivered the first EMB-314, fitted with a FLIR Safire III infrared turret for border surveillance operations.

Three more were delivered to the Burkina Faso Air Force’s Escadrille de Chasse at Ouagadougou Airbase in September 2011. Six A-29B aircraft were ordered by the National Air Force of Angola, and the first three were delivered to the 8th Training Squadron on January 31 2013.

Five aircraft were ordered by the Ghana Air Force at the Paris Airshow in June 2015, for a reported contract value of $88 million including logistics support and a training system for pilots and mechanics in Ghana. The first aircraft arrived in the second half of 2016, and the Ghana Air Force has plans to acquire four additional Super Tucanos.

Four A-29s were delivered to the Mali Air Force in July 2018. Six were originally ordered but this was reduced to four due to budgetary constraints.

Nigeria purchased 12 Super Tucanos from Sierra Nevada for $329 million in November 2018. The first batch of six, all fitted with forward-looking infrared systems, were delivered in July 2021.

Brazil once planned to donate three EMB-312s to the Mozambique Air Force, but this was cancelled by the Brazilian Government in 2016.

Senegal also narrowly avoided becoming a Super Tucano operator. Senegal was said to have been the fourth African nation to order the Super Tucano, but the contract was not finalised and Senegal, instead, opted for four KT-1s from Korea.

In situ: The first T-6C Texans have now been handed over to the Tunisian Air Force. Picture: Textron

In north Africa, the Textron T-6C serves with Morocco (which purchased 24 for the Royal Moroccan Air Force in October 2009), and is now entering service in Tunisia.

The US State Department approved the possible foreign military sale (FMS) of 12 T-6Cs to Tunisia at an estimated cost of $234 million in October 2019, including related spares, ground support equipment, and support.

The first of eight T-6Cs for No 13 Squadron at Sfax Airbase in Tunisia (and the 1,001^st T-6 built) was handed over in November 2022, and four more AT-6Es will be delivered for weapons training. These will bring the African T-6 fleet to 36 aircraft!

The new aircraft was used for training of the initial cadre of instructor pilots, which began on October 31 at Textron Aviation Defense facilities in Wichita, Kansas. A second aircraft was delivered later in 2022. More T6s were expected to arrive in Tunisia as African Aerospace was going to press.

The aircraft are augmented by a suite of training devices being supplied by TRU Simulation + Training, an affiliate of Textron Aviation.

The ability of aircraft like the Super Tucano and T-6C to perform flying training and light attack/counter-insurgency (COIN) missions makes them particularly attractive in the African context, and may lead to further orders, though the parlous state of many local defence budgets may make any new procurements problematic.

Pakistan’s Super Mushshak (a derivative of the Saab MFI-15/17 Supporter) has won an order for 10 aircraft for Nigeria, where the type’s distant predecessor, the MFI-9B MiniCOIN had played a starring role in the Nigerian Civil War from 1967-1970. The aircraft would seem to be a good fit for African training requirements, but the type has yet to make a real breakthrough in the region.

Some of today’s advanced jet trainers could still find a home in Africa, but probably as frontline light combat aircraft, providing a cost-effective replacement for the various F-5Es and Russian-built Sukhois and MiGs now serving with many African air forces.

Armed variants of the KAI FA-50, the M346FA, and even of the new TAI Hürjet offer a compelling blend of air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities, but it remains to be seen whether they are affordable enough for African air arms.

In some north African air forces, they could offer a useful means of augmenting frontline fast jets, or downloading training from frontline aircraft types.

Jon Lake

Jon is defence editor for both Arabian and African Aerospace magazines.

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Airlink partners with Lufthansa Systems

eNethersole — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:10:05 +0000

Airlink opted for Lufthansa Systems’ flight operations products Lido Flight 4D, Lido mPilot and Lido Airport Obstacle Data Service (AODS).

With Lido Flight 4D, a highly effective, interactive flight planning solution, Airlink will optimise its routes by taking current flight-related data into account, such as fuel consumption, costs and flying time. Lido Flight 4D enables individual optimisation of flight phases and offers a range of automation options. The solution is equipped with advanced features including real-time data updates, weather data integration, and fuel price updates, providing accurate and up-to-date flight plans.

The pilot solution Lido mPilot will enable Airlink to increase the safety and efficiency of their pilots’ operations. Lido’s all-in-one charting application offers easy access to terminal charts, a dynamically generated enroute map, an Airport Moving Map, as well as all required operational documents. The charts are generated electronically by using a worldwide geographic information database as well as all necessary aeronautical source data, making them precise and of high quality.

With Lufthansa Systems’ data solution Lido AODS, Airlink’s pilots can optimise their take-offs and landings on the electronic flight bag (EFB). Since Lido AODS provides the pilots with all required current information about the runway and airport, they can ensure that the planned runway is suitable for the aircraft type and current load. This is particularly important in the event of an engine failure, when the pilot must decide if it is safe to land. By analysing data from certified resources worldwide, Lido AODS ensures the accuracy of its data.

“We are delighted to partner with Lufthansa Systems,” said Captain Tammy King, executive manager of operations at Airlink.

“The additional features prioritise safety during take-offs and landings whilst focussing on optimising the economic efficiency of every aspect of our flight routings. Lufthansa Systems’ Lido Solutions will provide us with state of art technology to further enhance Airlink’s operational processes and procedures.”

“We are pleased to welcome Airlink as a valued customer of our Lido Solutions. Through this partnership we not only gain a reliable partner, but also enter the South African market – a market with a lot of potential, that will open up great new opportunities for us,” added Marco Cesa, SVP Regional Management EMEA at Lufthansa Systems.

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Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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Lufthansa Systems has entered a new partnership with Airlink and its entry into a new market: Southern Africa.

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IATA AGM: Roadmaps detail critical steps to achieve net zero by 2050

eNethersole — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:10:57 +0000

The roadmaps address aircraft technology, energy infrastructure, operations, finance, and policy considerations leading to net zero.

And Marie Owens Thomsen, SVP sustainability and chief economist, said: “We believe it is possible to achieve sustainable aviation by 2050 if we all work together. The roadmaps are the first detailed assessment of the key steps necessary to accelerate the transition to net zero by 2050.”

The roadmaps are the first detailed assessment of the key steps necessary to accelerate the transition to net zero by 2050. The roadmaps are not just for airlines. Governments, suppliers, and financiers cannot be spectators in aviation’s decarbonisation journey. The roadmaps are a call to action for all aviation's stakeholders to deliver the tools needed to make this fundamental transformation of aviation a success with policies and products fit for a net-zero world.

Highlights of each roadmap include:

Aircraft Technology: the development of more efficient aircraft and engines. Particularly important are the steps needed to enable aircraft powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen or batteries. All development milestones are backed-up by announced investment and demonstrator programmes. Also included are new engines, aerodynamics, aircraft structures, and flight systems.
Energy and New Fuels Infrastructure: the focus is on the fuels and new energy carrier infrastructure upstream from airports needed to facilitate the use of aircraft powered by SAF or hydrogen. Renewable energy plays a vital role in meeting the aviation sector's energy demand, and the roadmap outlines milestones to enable the necessary infrastructure developments.
Operations: the opportunities for reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency by improving the way existing aircraft are operated. Automation, big data management, and the integration of new technologies are key enablers for optimising air traffic management and enhancing the overall efficiency of the air transportation system.
Policy: the need for globally aligned strategic policies to provide incentives and support for the aviation industry's transition to a net-zero future. As with all other successful energy transitions, collaboration between governments and industry stakeholders is crucial in creating the necessary framework to achieve the decarbonisation goals.
Finance: how to finance the cumulative $5 trillion needed for aviation to achieve net zero by 2050. This includes technological advancements, infrastructure developments, and operational improvements.

The challenges to ramp up SAF production are a good illustration of the importance of these roadmaps. As a drop-in solution, SAF is expected to deliver about 62% of carbon mitigation needed to achieve net zero by 2050. But even though SAF is expected to be fully implementable with future aircraft fleet, it still has major inter-dependencies on policy, aircraft technology, energy infrastructure, financing, and operations for which these roadmaps are critical.

"The roadmaps show where all stakeholders should focus their efforts. There are two certainties. By 2050 we need to be at net zero carbon emissions. And the steps to get there that are outlined in these roadmaps will evolve as the industry’s expertise grows. Policy is particularly important early on as it, to a large extent, sets the scene for private sector investors to move. With that, the private sector can decarbonise at scale and with speed," said Owens Thomsen.

“Without the right policy incentives and bold investments, many of the technologies and innovations simply won’t happen at scale. Everything is related, and that is why we have the five roadmaps to tie all the parallel elements together and give our stakeholders, including governments, a complete understanding of everything that needs to happen,” said Owens Thomsen.

Owens Thomsen added: “I believe, as a European, in the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital. Together, we can achieve net zero by 2050."

Posted date

Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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IATA has unveiled a series of roadmaps aimed at providing step-by-step detailing of critical actions and dependencies for aviation to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

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IATA AGM: Al-Awadhi warns Africa’s blocked funds at crisis point

aPeaford — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 19:07:55 +0000

Some 80% of the funds – repayment for tickets bought in local currencies but withheld by nations claiming unavailable foreign currency – are from countries in the MEA region.

Nigeria and Algeria alone are responsible for more than $1 billion of debt – leading to some airlines, including Emirates, to ban flights to Nigeria.

Globally the situation has worsened in the past year with blocked funds rising by 47% in the past year to $2.27billion.

“Every penny counts for the airline industry, by failing to pay their bills for air transport these governments are putting industry in a tighter position, said Al-Awadhi

The impact for these governments is also high, he said. “Airlines pulling out reduces connectivity, leads to higher ticket prices, affects confidence from foreign investors and leads to the collapse of the domestic travel agency businesses.”

Another of the major defaulter is Ethiopia with $130 million owed

“Ironically, the biggest airline in Africa that could be impacted in Africa is Ethiopian Airlines,” Al-Awadhi said.”The government needs to rethink its position on this issue. Ethiopian Airlines contributes more than 20% of the country’s GDP. Does the government want to impact its 20 now by withholding $130m? I think it should settle the bill really quickly.”

One of the biggest challenges is frequent changes in government and officials. “We build up relationships and get the message across. Then we see the governors of the central banks replaced and then have to start all over again.”

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Sun, 04/06/2023 - 12:00

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The escalation of the withholding of funds by African countries to airlines is reaching a critical point warned Kamil Alawadhi IATA’s Vice President, Africa and the Middle East, speaking at the Association’s annual general meeting today.

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IATA AGM: Unruly passenger incidents in post-pandemic increase

eNethersole — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 13:41:36 +0000

IATA called for more states to take the necessary authority to prosecute passengers under Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14).

Latest figures show that there was one unruly incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022, up from one per 835 flights in 2021. The most common categorisations of incidents in 2022 were non-compliance, verbal abuse and intoxication. Physical abuse incidents remain very rare, but these had an alarming increase of 61% over 2021, occurring once every 17,200 flights.

The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying. Passengers and crew are entitled to a safe and hassle-free experience on board. For that, passengers must comply with crew instructions. While our professional crews are well trained to manage unruly passenger scenarios, it is unacceptable that rules in place for everyone’s safety are disobeyed by a small but persistent minority of passengers. There is no excuse for not following the instructions of the crew,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s deputy director general.

Although non-compliance incidents initially fell after the mask mandates were removed on most flights, the frequency began to rise again throughout 2022 and ended the year some 37% up on 2021. The most common examples of non-compliance were:

Smoking of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes and puff devices in the cabin or lavatories

Failure to fasten seatbelts when instructed

Exceeding the carry-on baggage allowance or failing to store baggage when required

Consumption of own alcohol on board

Two-pillar strategy

A two-pillar strategy is in place for the needed zero-tolerance approach to unruly behaviour.

Regulation: Ensure governments have the necessary legal authority to prosecute unruly passengers, regardless of their state of origin and to have a range of enforcement measures that reflect the severity of the incident. Such powers exist in the Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14), and IATA is urging all states to ratify this as soon as possible. To date, some 45 nations comprising 33% of international passenger traffic have ratified MP14.

Guidance to prevent and de-escalate incidents: Prevent incidents through collaboration with industry partners on the ground (such as airports, bars and restaurants and duty-free shops), including for example awareness campaigns on the consequences of unruly behaviour. Additionally, sharing best practices, including training, for crew to de-escalate incidents when they occur. A new guidance document was published at the beginning of 2022 gathering best practices for airlines and providing practical solutions to governments on public awareness, spot fines, and fixing jurisdiction gaps.

“In the face of rising unruly incident numbers, governments and the industry are taking more serious measures to prevent unruly passenger incidents. States are ratifying MP14 and reviewing enforcement measures, sending a clear message of deterrence by showing that they are ready to prosecute unruly behaviour. For the industry’s part, there is greater collaboration. For example, as the vast majority of intoxication incidents occur from alcohol consumed prior to the flight, the support of airport bars and restaurants to ensure the responsible consumption of alcohol is particularly important.

“No one wants to stop people having a good time when they go on holiday—but we all have a responsibility to behave with respect for other passengers and the crew. For the sake of the majority, we make no apology for seeking to crack down on the bad behaviour of a tiny number of travellers who can make a flight very uncomfortable for everyone else,” said Clifford.

Posted date

Sun, 04/06/2023 - 12:00

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IATA has released a new analysis showing that reported unruly passenger incidents increased in 2022 compared to 2021.

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Trouble in store for Ghana's new flagship?

pIvanova — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 11:00:36 +0000

Air transport 02 June 2023

Trouble in store for Ghana's new flagship?

The Ghanaian Government has named the successful bidders to create a new national airline, but doubts remain in some quarters over the plans.

For some years now, Ghana has hosted ambitions to be an aviation hub for west Africa. Part of that ambition involved the creation of a new flag-carrier.

Plans for the creation of a new national airline in Ghana have taken a step forward with the Ghanaian Government awarding start-up, Ashanti Airlines, and financial backers, Zotus Group, a tender to begin operations later this year.

The airline, to be known as Ghana Airlines, is planned to start operations with domestic and regional routes, with long-haul services to destinations including London Heathrow and New York to follow.

The country has been without a national airline since the collapse of Ghana International Airlines in 2010. Plans for a new flag-carrier have been bounced around for several years, with Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir mooted as potential strategic partners for the new airline.

Ethiopian, Africa’s most consistently successful national airline, was touted as the most likely partner and the Egyptian Government was in talks with its Ghanaian counterpart from around the time of the 2019 Dubai Airshow.

However, both have apparently fallen by the wayside and the announcement of the successful bidders came as something of a surprise.

“The time has come to return Ghana to the aviation map,” said Ghanaian Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, when announcing the contract award to Ashanti and Zotus.

“Learning from past experiences and following best practices within the aviation industry, it is best to collaborate with the private sector.”

Ashanti Airlines is a subsidiary of the country’s Despite Group conglomerate and, at the time of writing, had yet to be awarded its airline operator’s certificate (AOC) by the country’s aviation regulator.

UK-based Zotus Group describes itself as “an organisation dedicated to the development of humanitarian projects and transforming Africa and third world countries”, with a portfolio spanning areas such as hydrocarbons, manufacturing and agriculture.

It was co-founded by former England international soccer player, Emile Heskey, and business development specialist, Davison Simango.

Attempts to contact Ashanti Airlines through the Despite Group were unsuccessful.

However, Zotus’ Simango, speaking in early February, said: “We’ve been working with Ashanti throughout the whole tender process. In a month or two the GCAA will issue the AOC.”

He declined to give details of the funding, beyond describing it as “a significant amount”. Asked if there were still plans to bring in an experienced external strategic partner, he replied: “If there’s a deal on the table, yes, but at the moment we’re solid with the partnership we have with Ashanti.”

At the 2019 Dubai Airshow, the Ghanaian Government struck tentative deals with Boeing and De Havilland Canada for three 787-9s and “up to six” Dash 8-400 turboprops. However, the deals are not believed to have been finalised. Boeing declined to comment on the status of the order.

According to Simango: “We’re not part of whatever deal was made previously. We’re looking at completely different aircraft – Airbus A320s and A330s.”

One Ghanaian airline executive, speaking on conditions of anonymity, expressed reservations over the deal. He said Ashanti had been trying to get its AOC for six years and that his understanding was that the government had made possession of an AOC a prerequisite of being awarded the contract to set up the new national airline.

“My understanding from Ghana CAA is that… they were given instructions by government to help Ashanti produce the [operating] manuals. The CAA was not willing to compromise its standards. The government then said, ‘Right, if you won’t compromise, sit with them and help them with it’.”

He added that Ethiopian had dropped out of the picture because the then CEO, Tewolde GebreMariam, had had previous experience of losing a deal to be a strategic partner with the country’s previous flag-carrier, Ghana International Airways.

Wary of similar disappointment, he asked for cast-iron guarantees that Ethiopian would have full control of the new airline. The Ghanaian Government balked at his demand and the deal fell through.

Additionally, plans to have EgyptAir as the strategic partner fizzled out after the Egyptian official driving the deal died of a heart attack and the Ghanaian aviation minister behind the deal decided not to stand for re-election, “so everyone connected with the project faded away”.

Alan Dron

Alan Dron is air transport editor at Arabian Aerospace for which he has written since its launch.

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Aviation leaders gather in Istanbul for IATA’s 79th AGM

eNethersole — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:27:04 +0000

The World Air Transport Summit, with Pegasus Airlines as the host airline, will also take place.

The event (4-6 June) attracts the industry’s most senior leaders from among IATA’s more than 300 member airlines, as well as senior government officials, strategic partners, equipment suppliers, and media.

“In a few days, Istanbul will become the aviation capital of the world. Airlines will meet to review the industry’s recovery from COVID-19, to plan the way forward to a more sustainable future, to discuss the opportunities for technology to drive efficiencies from modern retailing to improved facilitation, and to understand the common regulatory challenges they face. Aviation is important. Connecting the world even as geopolitical divides deepen is a vital mission that requires profitable, safe, efficient and sustainable airlines. The outcomes of this AGM must set the direction for even more effective global connectivity,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Pegasus Airlines, and Chair of the IATA Board of Governors Mehmet T. Nane said: “We are enormously proud to be hosting our industry partners in the great city of Istanbul and look forward to welcoming everyone here for the IATA AGM, particularly as we look ahead to our 100th aircraft milestone on the 100th anniversary of Republic of Türkiye later this year. Aviation came together to assist the people of Türkiye to rebuild after the tragic earthquake in February. Now aviation comes together to debate vital issues concerning our pathway to net-zero CO2 in 2050, the diversity of our industry, our operational recovery from the depths of COVID, and many other topics.”

World Air Transport Summit

The World Air Transport Summit immediately follows the AGM.

The ever-popular CEO Insights Panel moderated by CNN’s Richard Quest will feature Greg Foran (CEO, Air New Zealand), Yvonne Manzi Makolo (CEO, Rwandair), John W. Dietrich (President and CEO, Atlas Air Worldwide) and Campbell Wilson (CEO and MD, Air India).

In addition to the updated industry economic outlook, key topics to be addressed include:

A ‘Big Picture’ view of challenges facing the industry with changing energy markets and shifting supply chains

Aviation’s contribution to Türkiye’s earthquake recovery

Advances in sustainability

Learnings from the 2022 operational challenges

A highlight will be the fourth edition of the Diversity and Inclusion Awards sponsored by Qatar Airways. These awards recognise organisations and individuals who are making a difference in helping to drive the industry’s 25by2025 initiative to make the aviation industry more gender balanced.

This will be the second time that the AGM is hosted in Istanbul, which last hosted in 2008. Türkiye is rebounding strongly from the pandemic shut down. In 2022 travel to/from Türkiye increased nearly 60% and it is now the 7th largest international passenger market in the world.

“Since we were last in Istanbul, Türkiye has become an incredible global aviation powerhouse. Its carriers are leading the way in regional and international connectivity, and the magnificent new airport puts some other nations’ lack of airport investment to shame. There’s no doubt that Türkiye’s importance to global aviation will continue to grow significantly,” said Walsh.

Posted date

Fri, 02/06/2023 - 12:00

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IATA has announced that leaders of the global aviation industry are gathering in Istanbul, Türkiye, for the 79th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM).

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