AGM 2025 Program & Highlights

Several questions arise as energy security gets a more intense focus from governments. Could this bring more investments into renewable energy production? What prioritization will SAF be given among renewable fuel production and how could this differ across regions? What other sources - hydrogen, nuclear or others - will be needed to support renewable solutions for aviation?

• Gauri Jauhar, Executive Director, S&P Global
• Rob McLeod, Head of Energy Risk Solutions, Hartree Partners
• Christof Rühl, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

Moderator: Clare Sebastian, Anchor, CNN International

IATA estimates that the total cost to net zero will be USD 4.7 trillion. Considering that airlines have never posted a net annual profit exceeding $40 billion (or 5% of revenues), financing the transition will be a challenge. What can airlines expect from the finance community as they undertake this monumental and costly transition?

• Patrick Healy, Group Chair, Cathay Pacific
• Lynn Guiney, Chief Commercial Officer, Macquarie AirFinance

Moderator: Richard Quest, Anchor, CNN International

The global tax landscape is changing with potentially dramatic impacts for airlines. The OECD and the UN are advancing proposals for major revisions to tax frameworks that would significantly complicate airline taxation by necessitating filing in all jurisdictions in which they operate—in contravention of ICAO rules and bilateral agreements. Climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives see aviation taxes as a potential novel financing source. And cash strapped treasuries are not sparing airlines in their hunt for more revenues.

• Irene Louth, Vice President Taxation, Global Head of Tax, Atlas Air Worldwide; Adjunct Professor
  University of Connecticut
• Vinod Kalloe, KPMG EMA Tax Policy Leader, KPMG

Payment is a $22 billion cost line for airlines globally—for some airlines, payment costs exceed those for distribution. The panel will explore how airlines are finding the right balance of driving revenue by accepting the customer’s preferred payment method, minimizing fraud, buffering from geopolitical fallout, complying with complex regulations, and keeping overall costs low. 

• Christine Rovelli, Chief Revenue Officer, Finnair
• Swati Tandon, Partner, McKinsey and Company
• Pascal Burg, Director, Edgar, Dunn & Company
• Tamur Goudarzi Pour, EVP Strategy & Member of the Group Executive Committee, Lufthansa Group

Moderator: Clare Sebastian, Anchor, CNN International

Top COOs will give a first-hand look at how they are dealing with growing challenges in maintaining safe, secure, and reliable operations. Deficiencies in infrastructure (airports and ANSPs), a proliferation of conflict zones, more extreme weather events, and supply chain issues are complicating daily operations. High profile accidents are keeping safety in the spotlight. And recruiting, training and motivating a next generation workforce with evolving expectations is adding to the challenge.

Sponsored by Securiport

• Isidre Porqueras, COO, IndiGo
• George Kamal, COO, Kenya Airways
• Dorota Dmuchowska, COO/Board Member, LOT Polish Airlines

Moderator: Richard Quest, Anchor, CNN International

• Amitabh Khosla, Country Director India, Nepal & Bhutan, IATA

• Rafael Schvartzman, Regional VP, Europe, IATA

• Peter Cerda, Regional VP, The Americas, IATA

• Kamil Alawadhi, Regional VP, Africa & Middle East, IATA

• Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior VP Sustainability and Chief Economist, IATA

> Sustainability fact sheets

• Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo

• Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA
• Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo and Chair, IATA Board of Governors 2024-2025

• Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior VP Sustainability & Chief Economist, IATA

• Nick Careen, Senior VP, Operations, Safety and Security, IATA

• Xie Xingquan, Regional VP, North Asia, IATA

• Nick Careen, Senior VP, Operations, Safety and Security, IATA

• Leslie MacIntosh, Corporate Corporate Secretary and Acting General Counsel, IATA

• Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA
• Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo