The World Air Transport Summit and the 74th Annual General Meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Sydney, Australia, in early June will focus on key issues concerning the global aviation industry.
Besides IATA director general & CEO Alexandre de Juniac’s report on the air transport industry, an updated economic outlook on the industry will be presented by IATA’s senior economists. 
The first day will be devoted to the World Air Transport Summit and the second day to IATA’s 74th Annual General Meeting.
IATA's chief economist Brian Pearce will provide insights into some of the macro-economic factors shaping aviation's operating environment, some of the policy responses to those factors and what this will mean for airlines over the coming 12 months. 
Fighting human trafficking, aviation security and harnessing the power of data are among the other topics that will be discussed at the key global event that will attract the top leadership of the global air transport industry including Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker. 
At the World Air Transport Summit, a session on the future of bio-fuels will be discussed. The session will discuss how sustainable alternative fuels are being used in aviation, the enormous contribution they could make to our industry's carbon footprint, the barriers to further production and use.
Another session will look at the significant social and economic benefits that travel and tourism generates to countries, economies, business and individuals.
Airport privatisation and driving gender equality in aviation are the other topics that will be taken up at the World Air Transport Summit.
The event will be held from June 3 to 5 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Sydney.
Australia’s premier airline Qantas will host the 74th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit, the International Air Transport Association said. 
Qantas is a founding member of IATA and four of its CEOs have chaired the IATA Board of Governors. That includes the current CEO Alan Joyce, who was chairman in 2012-13, and has served on the Board of Governors since 2009.
This is the third time that the event is being held in Australia, the previous years being 2000 and 1961, both in Sydney.
In an earlier statement, IATA’s director-general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said, “Sydney is an excellent choice to become the capital of the global air transport industry in June 2018. I am confident that Qantas will be an excellent host, as they were when we last met there in 2000. 
“Australia’s pioneering tradition on aviation matters carries on to this day with competitive airlines, effective air traffic management and a commitment to ‘Smarter Regulation’. As a result, aviation keeps Australia connected to the world. And those links contribute greatly to the country’s prosperity. I am sure that we can look forward to a tip-top welcome ‘down under’ in a year’s time.” 
Joyce said, “I look forward to welcoming the leaders of the aviation world to Australia and hosting the IATA AGM in Sydney. We have a long history with IATA, having been one of the Association’s founding members back in 1945.”
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