As leaders from airlines and across the value chain came together in Rio de Janeiro in early June for IATA’s 82nd Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit, one message was clear: a strong, resilient aviation industry remains a powerful force for good, even if we are in difficult times.
As always, aviation’s success is a team effort. That is true in everything we do from day-to-day operations meeting immediate challenges to improving safety or transforming the industry with digitalization or decarbonization.
This is where the IATA Strategic Partnerships Program plays a vital role.
In 2026, some 540 Strategic Partners across close to 80 countries are working with us in over 30 areas of involvement. Your ideas, expertise and willingness to collaborate are essential. The Strategic Partnerships Program has long delivered tangible results, most recently through digital identity Proofs of Concept, where airlines, airports, technology providers and governments demonstrated how mobile wallets and biometrics can enable seamless journeys without repeated paper checks.
In the months ahead, we will continue to leverage this collective expertise to address systemic challenges and support progress across all segments of the industry. Working together, we can move faster.
As I come to the end of my term as IATA Director General, I am confident that the Strategic Partnerships Program will remain central to building a stronger aviation industry. Thank you for your continued support and commitment. I look forward to seeing how the program evolves in the years ahead.
By Willie Walsh, IATA Director General
