(Posted 23rd June 2022)
Qatar Airways successfully concluded hosting the 78th International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting, held under the Patronage of His Highness The Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Doha, Qatar. The airline industry’s biggest annual event welcomed over 1,000 delegates and aviation leaders from across the globe to discuss significant industry issues.
The three-day conference provided a golden opportunity for 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 such as eliminating single-use plastic: limiting air pollution and the importance of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Furthermore, Qatar Airways has signed an expansive codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia and saw the signing of three key Memorandums of Understanding with IATA Environmental Assessment Program, IATA Postal Accounts Settlement System and IATA Direct Data Solutions.
To offer a gracious welcome to international guests, the national carrier hosted two unforgettable evenings filled with dazzling entertainment and world-class performances at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, and the Khalifa International Stadium.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said; “It was an absolute pleasure to host the 78th International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting, eight years after it was last held in Doha since 2014. These past three days provided great discussions on important global issues affecting our industry between leaders and experts in the aviation world. I would like to extend my gratitude to IATA’s Director General, Mr. Willie Walsh, for his exemplary support.”
This AGM is particularly timely as it provided the space to share important lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, from various delegates who shared their experiences from across the world. I have no doubt that several important takeaways within the AGM will help our industry pave the way for various future solutions.”
During the peak of the pandemic, Qatar Airways remained steadfast in its ambition to demonstrate leadership in environmental sustainability and continued to work on cementing the path towards a sustainable recovery and contributing to the conservation of global biodiversity with its zero-tolerance policy towards illegal trafficking of wildlife and its products. Together with oneworld member airlines, Qatar Airways is committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, becoming the first global airline alliance to unite behind a common target to achieve carbon neutrality. Qatar Airways has also partnered with IATA to launch a voluntary carbon offset programme for passengers, which has now extended to include its cargo and corporate clients, while continuing to improve our environmental performance and securing the accreditation to the highest level in the IATA Environmental Assessment Programme (IEnvA).
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. It 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 in 2022 as the ‘World’s Best Airport’ for a consecutive second time.
