Doha, 30 June 2022 (QT)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

Q ATAR Airways hosted the 78th Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of the International Airlines Transport Association (IATA) and World Air Transport Summit from June 19 to 21 at the Hotel Sheraton Grand Doha.

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani attended the formal opening session. More than 1,000 delegates and aviation leaders from across the world participated in the event.

This was the second time since 2014 that the global aviation leadership gathered in Doha, the dynamic aviation hub. Also, this was the fourth time the AGM was
hosted in the Middle East.

As per IATA figures, in normal times, aviation in the region supports some 3.4 million jobs and $213 billion in economic activity.

The delegates were highly appreciative of Qatar’s traditional hospitality and the arrangements made by Qatar Airways. At the conclusion of the summit, IATA stated in a tweet: “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 stated that the 79th AGM and World Air Transport Summit will be hosted by Pegasus Airlines in June next year at Istanbul, Turkey.

Meanwhile, talking exclusively to Qatar Tribune, Mehmet Tevfik Nane, the newly elected 80th Chair of IATA Board of Governors and Chief Executive Officer
of Turkiye’s Pegasus Airlines, the host airline of 79th IATA AGM, said, “Qatar Airways made magnificent arrangements. HE Akbar Al Baker [the Group CEO of Qatar Airways] has raised the level so high. I hope we can match it.”

He added: “We have one advantage, we have Istanbul and the history of Istanbul but the standards set by the host in Doha is a new standard for the industry, we
will be doing our best to match it. “We love Qataris, and they love Turkiye, Pegasus Airlines with its 11 weekly flights connecting both [countries] together.”

The 78th AGM and World Air Transport Summit were originally planned to be held in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, to be hosted by China Eastern Airlines. However, in view of the continuing COVID-19 restrictions on travel to China, the decision was taken by IATA to change the venue to Doha.

The three-day conference provided a golden opportunity to key players within IATA’s 240 member-airlines to gather in-person and share insights on important
topics impacting the future of the airline industry including eliminating single-use plastic, limiting air pollution, and the importance of Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(SAF).

A number of agreements and MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the conference. Qatar Airways signed an expansive code share agreement with Virgin Australia. Three key MoUs with IATA Environmental Assessment Program, IATA Postal Accounts Settlement System and IATA Direct Data Solutions were also signed.

Air transport has been one of the hardest-hit industries globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was under such complex situation that the 240-member airlines association’s top aviation leadership gathered in Doha to exchange their experiences and to find out solutions to the challenges facing the business and geopolitical environments. IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh had said earlier that “this year’s AGM will be an important opportunity for aviation leaders to reflect on the shifting political, economic and technological realties facing air travel as the industry’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic gathers pace”.

At the end of the three-day summit, Willie Walsh said in a statement, “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.”

The hosts of the 78th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit, Qatar’s National carrier Qatar Airways is a multiple award-winning airline. Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2021 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax.

Qatar Airways was also named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat’, ‘World’s
Best Business Class Onboard Catering’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’.

The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021).

Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as the
‘World’s Best Airport’.