By Willie Walsh, IATA Director General
On 19 April 1945, 80 years ago, 57 airline leaders met in Havana, Cuba to form a unique association of airlines that would promote safe, regular and economical transport for the benefit of the peoples of the world, to foster air commerce, and to study the problems connected therewith. This association would be called the International Air Transport Association (IATA). To fulfil its aim, IATA would provide a means of collaboration among aviation’s many stakeholders, and it would cooperate with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other international organizations.
Eight decades later, IATA is still here, and global aviation has become an enormous force for good in our world. At the individual level, aviation brings the fundamental freedom of movement to a global scale. The industry is at the core of a value chain that contributes 3.9% ($4.1 trillion) to the world’s economy. And aviation supports some 86.5 million jobs worldwide.
A lot has changed in the intervening decades of IATA’s existence. IATA rose to the challenges of the post-World War II era, helping airlines build global networks. In the early days, that meant establishing a framework for airlines to work together on everything from ground handling and airport codes to ticketing standards and air fares. While much of the work IATA does today has its roots leading back to 1945, it is important to note that IATA’s then government-sanctioned role in establishing fares was abandoned long ago.
Today’s hyper-competitive and deregulated market for air transport has made travel more accessible than ever. A transoceanic trip that used to be a once-in-a-lifetime event for all but the elite, is now within reach of the majority of those living in the developed world. And developing societies are aviation’s fastest-growing markets where the industry is creating economic opportunity and spreading prosperity.
In 1945 airlines carried nine million passengers. In 2025 airlines carry nine million passengers every 16 hours! Airlines do this at a level of safety that is no less than a modern miracle of science applied with extreme discipline and with a just culture. This could only be done with global standards. If each airline, destination or regulator operated to different rules or best practices, the result would be chaos. Instead, because of global standards, we live in a world where accommodating someone who needs to be in New York one day and Jakarta the next is nothing out of the ordinary.
It is precisely these global standards and best practices that have kept IATA relevant—most notably the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), a condition of membership in IATA. The safety numbers tell us that airlines on the registry have a better combined safety performance than airlines that are not on the registry.
Behind the scenes, IATA’s services support efficient operations, from ensuring that passengers have all the right documentation for their destination, to programs that help airlines avoid turbulence, and tools that allow aviation stakeholders to forecast demand. Another great example is IATA’s Settlement Systems which have long enabled airlines to distribute their product globally through intermediaries. For passengers, this makes it possible to buy an e-ticket for travel anywhere in a single currency with a single transaction and have complete peace of mind that it will be accepted when they arrive at the airport.
Throughout its history, IATA has been an enabling body for airlines to do the hard work of building the global networks that connect our world today. On any anniversary, it’s natural to remind ourselves of the achievements that link to present day successes. But on IATA’s 80th birthday, the main role for such nostalgia is the confidence it gives for IATA’s future. I believe that IATA’s best days are still ahead of it.
When airlines work together through IATA, they have tackled big challenges and made good on critical opportunities.
There is still plenty on the industry’s “to do” list where IATA has a vital role. The progressive digitalization of aviation offers the potential to modernize airline retailing, introduce digital ID across the travel experience, and give air cargo an even stronger value proposition. AI and technology will enable us to glean even more from consolidated industry data that will make all airlines safer and more efficient. The strength of the association will be called upon to clear bottlenecks and promote the infrastructure and regulatory framework that airlines will need to deliver even greater economic and social benefit. And we have a mission-critical role in securing aviation’s future by convening the resources and expertise needed for aviation to meet its commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
This ambitious list is only what we can see today. Aviation has been no stranger to technical innovation or to crisis. Both bring change. Over the years IATA has learned to meet both opportunities and challenges with solutions. And even in these uncertain times, there is no doubt that the more people connect, expand business, and experience the world through aviation, the better we will all be. That inspires IATA’s mission to represent, lead and serve the world’s airlines so they can be an even stronger force for good in our world.
