Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement

IATA as an International Trade Association

 

IATA is the global trade association of the world’s airlines, representing some 330 airlines that comprise 83% of total air traffic. IATA’s mission is to represent, lead, and serve the airline industry. An overview of IATA’s vision and mission and its industry priorities are available at IATA’s website www.iata.org.

IATA was established in 1945, by a special Act of the Canadian Parliament. IATA is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with subsidiaries, branch, and representative offices in different locations throughout the world. As of 31 October 2025, IATA had 1,627 employees with 331 being employed in Canada. Currently, IATA has 57 office locations throughout the world.

The IATA Board of Directors exercises an oversight and executive role, including the general management and control of the activities, affairs, funds, and property of IATA, on behalf of the membership as a whole.

IATA’s Sustainability and Environment Advisory Council (SEAC) acts as an advisor to the Board and IATA management on matters related to corporate sustainability. IATA has raised awareness about the UK’s Modern Slavery Act and Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act amongst IATA members, including SEAC members.

IATA’s Activities

 

IATA supports many areas of aviation activity and helps formulate industry standards and policy on critical aviation issues.

IATA is involved in the provision of publications, training consulting services, industry data products, as well as other services, to its members and other third parties in the aviation ecosystem. IATA also offers certain manuals, industry standards, and other publications for sale.

IATA’s Supply Chains

 

As a trade association with offices and operations spanning the globe, IATA’s supply chain is procurement linked to the following services:

• office facilities and their management;
• consulting and professional services;
• information technology, data services, and data processing; and
• industry events and publications.

IATA’s Risks

 

IATA has policies and procedures in place that will be adapted and strengthened as necessary to prevent the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking, including forced and child labor, within the organization’s supply chain.

IATA has a low risk of forced and child labor in its supply chain.

IATA’s People, Performance and Development (PPD) department has previously undertaken a review of its human resource policies and determined that additional anti-slavery provisions are not required. Periodic reviews will be undertaken to monitor whether additional provisions are required.

IATA’s Work to Combat Slavery and Human Trafficking in the Air Transport Sector

 

IATA is committed to leading the airline industry in playing its part to help combat modern slavery and human trafficking, including forced and child labor. IATA has adopted measures for its trade association activities and engaged in awareness raising within the broader airline industry to reduce and eliminate modern slavery.

IATA’s Policies and Practices

 

IATA’s Code of Conduct applies to all IATA employees and all subsidiaries, branches and affiliates, consultants, contractors, suppliers and business partners of IATA. Among other things, the Code of Conduct sets out IATA’s commitment to leading the industry in playing its part to help combat slavery and various forms of trafficking by raising awareness and urging law enforcement to provide clear, practical and anonymous mechanisms for reporting potential human trafficking situations, and to combat the illegal trade in wildlife.

IATA has incorporated anti-slavery clauses into its supplier contracts to minimize the risk of slavery and human trafficking in its supply chain.

At IATA’s 74^th Annual General Meeting in Sydney, in June 2018, the AGM adopted a resolution denouncing human trafficking. This resolution reaffirms IATA’s airline members' commitment to supporting governments and law enforcement to prevent human trafficking through awareness raising, staff training and reporting of suspicious behavior.

IATA management has also developed and published on its website a position paper on human trafficking.

Industry Awareness Building

 

IATA has a campaign entitled #eyesopen, which is designed to raise awareness among passengers, airlines, and governments, of the crime of human trafficking. Through a variety of materials, including an animated film that demonstrates how traffickers misuse aviation, the campaign is designed to show how aviation staff on the front-line can play their part in helping to combat human trafficking.

IATA is committed to leading the airline industry in playing its part to help combat modern slavery and human trafficking. In addition to working with our member airlines to increase staff and passenger awareness, IATA has called on governments and their enforcement agencies to provide clear, practical, and discrete mechanisms for airline staff so they can report potential trafficking situations. To that end, IATA worked as part of a working group organized by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to develop Circular 357 “Guidelines for Reporting Trafficking in Persons by Flight and Cabin Crew” (2021) aimed at governments, civil aviation authorities and aviation stakeholders which was published in early 2021.

IATA is a member of the ICAO Ad Hoc Working Group on Combatting Trafficking in Supply Chain (AHWG-TSP), an international, joint industry-regulatory group composed of experts from states, air operators, and international organizations. The AHWG-TSP serves as an expert group, providing advice to ICAO assisting in the development of guidance material on combatting trafficking in persons in an air operator’s supply chain.

IATA contributed to the development of ICAO Doc.10171, A Comprehensive Strategy for Combatting Human Trafficking in the Aviation Sector (2023). This enhances national counter-trafficking policies and procedure frameworks. It also equips governments, civil aviation authorities, airlines and airports with guidance and recommendations to inform the development of comprehensive counter‐trafficking strategies.

IATA is also working with airports and other stakeholders within the air transport sector to raise awareness on human trafficking and to share its guidance material, including its ‘recognize and report' practice.

Training

 

IATA delivers training for all employees on a range of occupational health and safety, workplace, corporate governance, and compliance issues. A specific training module on modern slavery is planned for future implementation and will be compulsory for both existing and new employees. IATA intends will review whether such training should be a recurrent requirement for existing employees.

In addition to IATA’s own training programs, IATA has developed training and other materials for airline employees. These are available online and are free of charge. Particularly relevant to the subject of the Statement is training material titled “Resources for Airline Staff Training”.

Remedial Action

 

IATA is not aware of any forced or child labor in its supply chain. Therefore, it has not been necessary to take any remedial action within the 2025 financial year. More specifically, this means that IATA has not taken any remedial action relating to the loss of income among the most vulnerable families that may be impacted by any measures taken to reduce or prevent forced or child labor in its supply chain.

Measuring the Effectiveness of IATA’s Policies

 

Beyond the activities described above, IATA has not taken other measures to review the effectiveness of its policies on forced and child labor in the 2025 financial year.

Approval and Attestation (UK, Canada and Australia)

 

Approval (UK and Canada)

This Statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 and Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act 2023 (S.C. 2023, c. 9) and has been approved by the IATA Board of Director and endorsed by IATA's Director General.

This Statement constitutes IATA’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2025.

Attestation (Canada)

In accordance with the requirements of the Canadian Act, and in particular section 11 of the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act 2023 (S.C. 2023, c. 9), I attest that I have reviewed the information contained in this Statement in relation to IATA and that our Board has approved this statement. Based on my knowledge, and having exercised reasonable diligence, I attest that the information in this Statement is true, accurate and complete in all material respects for the purposes of the Canadian Act, for the year to 31 December 2025.

Statements on Approval and Signature (Australia)

Statement on Principal Governing Body Approval

This modern slavery statement was approved by the principal governing body of the International Air Transport Association as defined by the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) on 5 December 2025.

Signature of Responsible Member

This modern slavery statement is signed by a responsible member of the International Air Transport Association as defined by the Act, being IATA’s Director General.

 

Signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on 13 January 2025.

William Matthew Walsh
Director General
International Air Transport Association

 

The statement will be filed with the relevant authorities for compliance under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act, Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act, and Australia’s Modern Slavery Act.