Aviation leaders gather in New Delhi for IATA's annual meeting

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Aviation leaders gather in New Delhi for IATA's annual meeting

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Kim Macaulay Chief Information & Data Officer | International Air Transport Association - IATA

By Sky Industry News

May 30, 2025

IndiGo is hosting the 81st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in New Delhi, marking the event's return to India after a 42-year hiatus. Approximately 1,700 participants are expected, including industry leaders, government officials, and media representatives.

"We are excited to bring the IATA AGM to India after a 42-year gap. India’s place in global aviation has changed dramatically, particularly over the last decade," stated Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. He highlighted India's significant growth in aircraft orders and infrastructure developments as factors contributing to its evolving role in global aviation.

India's aviation sector employs around 369,700 people directly and contributes $5.6 billion to GDP. When considering indirect impacts, these figures rise to 7.7 million jobs and $53.6 billion of GDP.

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Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo and Chair of the IATA Board of Governors said: "As the host airline of the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting, IndiGo warmly welcomes the global airline community to India." He emphasized India's thriving aviation market and its socio-economic contributions.

Following the AGM is the World Air Transport Summit (WATS), addressing critical issues facing aviation today. Walsh noted that "The AGM is always a moment for the industry to reflect and regroup."

A notable feature will be a CEO Panel moderated by CNN’s Richard Quest with participation from key industry leaders such as Pieter Elbers from IndiGo and Joanna Geraghty from JetBlue.

Key topics at WATS include financial outlooks for airlines, India's strategic use of aviation for development, energy security concerning Sustainable Aviation Fuel production, financing net-zero goals in aviation, tax landscape changes globally, payment costs innovations, and perspectives from Chief Operations Officers.