Turkish Airlines participated in the 79th IATA Annual General Meeting & World Air Transport Summit held in Istanbul
The 79th IATA (International Air Transport Association) Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit (WATS), one of the most esteemed events of the global aviation sector, started in İstanbul.
The summit, sponsored by the world’s two largest aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, discussed issues on the industry agenda, such as crisis management, economics, operations, security, and sustainability.
Opening speeches of the massive organization, which brought together CEOs and top executives of approximately 300 airlines from many countries, were given by the IATA Director General, Willie Walsh, and the IATA Board of Directors Chairman, Mehmet Nane. Also attending the event, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat evaluated the current state of the aviation sector.
At the summit, the past and present of the aviation sector, performance during the pandemic, and economic situation were discussed. Furthermore, discussions were held on the future of the sector, focusing on sustainability and zero waste. The most important of these points was the “net zero emissions” goal set by IATA for 2050.
Giving a speech at the summit, Turkish Airlines Chief Marketing Officer Ahmet Olmuştur said: “As the flag carrier airline, we have had more responsibility than all firms in the aviation sector in every crisis our country has experienced, and looking at today, we have successfully overcome every crisis. The pandemic is an example of this while we have also seen the significant role of the aviation sector during the devastating earthquake that shook our country. We worked diligently as a team to mitigate the adverse effects of the earthquake. As our motto says, we will succeed together in this process as well. From now on, we will continue to make a difference not only in our country but worldwide with our steps towards sustainability and zero waste.”
At the summit, new technology and innovation studies related to flight safety and comfort were also conveyed, along with the goals within the zero-waste policy for in-flight services. Turkish Airlines continues its efforts to rank globally in this field.
About Turkish Airlines:
Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 416 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 344 worldwide destinations as 291 international and 53 domestics in 129 countries. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official website www.turkishairlines.com or its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Star Alliance:
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, based on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless service. Since inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a focus on improving customer experience across the Alliance journey.
The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 10,000 daily flights to almost 1,200 airports in 184 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partners Juneyao Airlines and THAI Smile Airways.
