Dubai: The next International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting (AGM) will be held in Delhi, India, officials confirmed on Monday. Indian budget carrier Indigo will be the host airline for the 81st edition of the annual aviation event, Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general and CEO of Indigo Pieter Elbers, has confirmed.
“It’s been over four decades since the industry came together for an IATA AGM in Delhi. With record aircraft orders, impressive growth, and world-class infrastructure developments, India is firmly on the trajectory to become the world’s third largest aviation market within this decade,” said Walsh. “With such bright prospects, it’s the perfect time for the IATA AGM to return to India and witness these exciting developments,” he added.
“IndiGo is proud to be the host airline for the 81st IATA AGM and looks forward to welcoming the global aviation community to Delhi in 2025. India, becoming the third-largest economy within the next few years and leading the fourth industrial revolution using AI, is a nation on the move. Elbers said India's rise in the global aviation landscape over the last years has been nothing short of remarkable.
The decision to host the 81st IATA AGM in India was made at the 80th IATA AGM in Dubai. This will be the third time the IATA AGM has convened in Delhi, having visited India in 1958 and 1983.
According to official figures, India is one of the UAE’s biggest source markets for international air travel. The two countries share a bilateral air service agreement, under which airlines are allowed to operate a total of 66,000 seats per week between Dubai and Indian cities. However, recently, reports have emerged that India is seeking four seats for its carriers against every extra seat it allows Dubai-based airlines to operate in the country.
When asked about the potential policy change amid the AGM, Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said, “What the Indian government chooses to do and how it chooses to run its aero political policies is up to India. And if they wish to propose that solution on a 4:1 basis, we would execute the policy. I am not swerving it, but simply saying these are intergovernmental issues that need to be resolved at a governmental level.”
IATA’s Director-General Walsh said if India wants to fulfil the aviation sector's ambitions, it will “need access to markets around the world.” “And if you want access, you will have to give access. That’s the way it works in the airline industry,” explained Walsh.
Walsh said, “I am amazed at what potential exists in India; it is growing at a fast pace. (The potential) will only be unlocked with the right government policies, and I suspect that will happen in time.”
