IATA: Global Focus Now on Sustainability

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that the 2019 World Financial Symposium (WFS) will focus on the theme of shaping a sustainable future together: airlines, IATA and partners.

The world's airlines are expected to report their tenth consecutive annual profit in 2019, but earnings are being squeezed.

In June, IATA downgraded its outlook to a net profit of US$28 billion or just $6.12 per passenger, reduced from an estimated $30 billion in 2018.

Aleks Popovich, IATA's Senior Vice President, Financial and Distribution Services, said: "The airline industry is still earning money and we are expecting to deliver a return on invested capital for a record fifth year—but just barely.

“Rising fuel prices, slowing demand growth, trade wars and geopolitical tensions all are challenging the industry's fortunes. Airline financial organizations will play a vital role in helping to carry the business through this turbulence.

“WFS provides a forum for finance professionals across the aviation value chain, to discuss and debate the correct strategies to achieving a sustainable future."

The WFS will be held in Miami, 25-26 September 2019 and will cover topics such as:

• Fraud risk and prevention
• Trade war nationalism impact on the corporate treasury
• Payment strategies to improve the passenger experience
• New card and non-card payment solutions
• Credit risk management
• PSD2 and strong customer authorization: what's next?
• Cryptocurrency and banks: a new era?
• Countdown to the end of LIBOR

Read more: IATA State that Recovery Predictions are ‘Premature’