Sessions & Highlights
Access session recordings, press releases, presentations, fact sheets, and more material related to the 82nd IATA Annual General Meeting & World Air Transport Summit 2026 sessions.
Sunday 7 June - Annual General Meeting
AGM Opening Session
Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA
World Air Transport Summit
World Air Transport Summit Opening - Airline Industry Outlook
This session will look at the prospects for airlines in 2026.
- Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Chief Economist, IATA
Panel - The Big Picture
Experts in geopolitics, global security, trade and economics examine the forces impacting the environment in which airlines will operate over the next 12 months.
- Nick Allan, CEO, Control Risks
- Eleanor Budds, Research Director, Global Fuels and Refining, S&P Global
- Matt Kaminski, Editorial Chair, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Editor-at-Large, The Arsenal
- Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Chief Economist, IATA
Panel - Turning Brazil’s Aviation Potential into Reality
Aviation supports 2.1% of Brazil’s GDP and employment for 1.9 million people. Experts review what’s needed for aviation to make an even bigger contribution.
- Mariana Aldrigui, Professor and Researcher, University of São Paulo (USP)
- Jerome Cadier, CEO, LATAM Brasil
- Jeanine Pires, Director, Pires Inteligência em Turismo
- Fabio Rogerio de Carvalho, CEO, ABR Aeroportos do Brasil
Report: The Value of Air Transport to Brazil (pdf) / O Valor do Transporte Aéreo Para O Brasil (pdf)
IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards
We will recognize leaders driving change to realize the benefits of a more gender balanced workforce. Qatar Airways is the kind sponsor of this annual award.
Sponsored by Qatar Airways
Press release: IATA Opens Nominations for 2026 Edition of Diversity & Inclusion Awards
Panel - CEO Forum
Airline CEOs will share insights on aviation’s most pressing global issues. This no-holds-barred annual highlight is hosted by Richard Quest of CNN.
- Roberto Alvo, CEO, LATAM Airlines Group
- Con Korfiatis, CEO, Oman Air
- Güliz Öztürk, CEO, Pegasus
- Luis Rodrigues, CEO, TAP Air Portugal
Moderator: Richard Quest, Anchor and Correspondent, CNN Business Editor-at-Large
Monday 8 June - World Air Transport Summit
Panel - Is AI Living Up to its Promises for Airlines?
Airline and technology experts look at what airlines have been doing with AI and where that might lead.
- Abha Dogra, Chief Product Officer, IBS Software
- Megan O'Keefe, Vice President Airline Solutions Product & Portfolio, Travel Unit, Amadeus
- Nikhil Ravishankar, CEO, Air New Zealand
- Andrew Sellers, Vice President Technology Strategy and Enablement, Confluent
Panel - Trade, Tariffs, and the Role of Air Cargo
Air cargo leaders review how the sector is performing and its future prospects in light of changes in tariff policies and global trading patterns.
- Michael Steen, CEO, Atlas Air
- Janet Wallace, Managing Director Cargo Operations & Transformations, Air Canada
Panel - Closing the Gap Between Brazil’s SAF Production Potential and Airline Needs
Experts examine the potential for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production in Brazil, the benefits this would generate, and lessons for the rest of the world.
- Marlon Arraes Jardim Leal, Undersecretary of Biofuels, Ministry of Energy, Brazil
- Patricia Grossi, Head of Carbon Markets and Biofuel Certification, Acelen Renewables
- Ricardo Pinto, Senior Specialist, Petrobras
Fact sheet: Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) (pdf)
Panel - Securing Airspace to Accommodate Growth as Conflicts Proliferate
Demand for airspace grows while conflicts limit availability. What measures (short and long-term) are needed to maintain capacity amid restrictions?
- Magdalena Jaworska-Maćkowiak, CEO, Polish Air Navigation Services Agency
- Chris Kempis, Director Flight Operations, Cathay Pacific
- Chip Meserole, Director Global Airspace Operational Efficiency, The Boeing Company
Panel - Passenger Rights, Data, and Prospects for Better Regulation
What does data tell us about the success of passenger rights regulations? What are the prospects for improving EU261 and avoiding its replication in other markets?
- Kimberly Graber, Of Counsel, Steptoe LLP
- Thomas Reynaert, Senior Vice President External Affairs, IATA
- Alexis Von Hoensbroech, CEO, WestJet
Panel - The Psychology of Passengers in Stressful Situations
Images of passengers evacuating aircraft with their luggage are shocking. Experts debate how to change this behavior.
- Levi Breeding, Senior Auditor, United Airlines
- Rachel Loudermilk, Managing Director Inflight Safety and Base Operations, Southwest Airlines
- Brett Molesworth, Professor of Human Factors and Aviation Safety, University of New South Wales School of Aviation
Media Briefings - Saturday 6 June
North Asia
- Xingquan (Max) Xie, Regional Vice President, North Asia, IATA
Europe
- Rafael Schvartzman, Regional Vice President, Europe, IATA
Asia-Pacific
- Sheldon Hee, Regional Vice President, Asia-Pacific, IATA
Africa & Middle East
- Kamil Alawadhi, Regional Vice President, Africa & Middle East, IATA
The Americas
- Peter Cerda, Regional Vice President, The Americas, IATA
oneworld
- Ole Orvér, CEO, oneworld
Sustainability
- Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President Sustainability & Chief Economist, IATA
- Hemant Mistry, Director Energy Transition, IATA
- Preeti Jain, Head Net Zero Research and Programs, IATA
LATAM Airlines Group
- Roberto Alvo, CEO, LATAM Airlines Group
Media Briefings - Sunday 7 June
Annual General Meeting
- Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA
- Luis Gallego, CEO, IAG and Chair, IATA Board of Directors 2025-2026
- Roberto Alvo, CEO, LATAM Airlines Group
Industry Outlook
- Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President Sustainability & Chief Economist, IATA
Jet Fuel Update
- Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice President Sustainability & Chief Economist, IATA
- Hemant Mistry, Director Energy Transition, IATA
- Eleanor Budds, Research Director, Global Fuels and Refining, S&P Global
Media Briefings - Monday 8 June
Advocacy Update
- Thomas Reynaert, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, IATA
Safety & Operations
- Nick Careen, Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety, and Security, IATA
Closing Press Briefing
- Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA
- Roberto Alvo, CEO, LATAM Airlines Group
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