By Yanik Hoyles, Director Distribution, IATA
A few years ago, much of our industry's discussion around Modern Airline Retailing centered on vision.
Today, the conversation is increasingly focused on implementation.
Across the industry, airlines, travel sellers, technology providers and other stakeholders are working together to build the foundations for a more connected and customer-centric retailing ecosystem. Momentum behind Offers & Orders continues to grow, supported by a shared commitment to collaboration, innovation and real-world progress.
The reason for that momentum is clear.
Traveler expectations continue to evolve. The 2025 IATA Global Passenger Survey highlighted growing demand for simplicity, personalization and greater digital control throughout the travel journey. At the upcoming World Financial and Passenger Symposiums (WFS & WPS), we will unveil the latest survey findings and gain fresh insight into what travelers want next.
As traveler expectations continue to evolve, the industry must continue to rethink how travel products are created, sold, serviced and delivered.
It provides the foundation for dynamic retailing and end-to-end digital journeys, enabling the industry to better meet changing customer expectations while creating new opportunities for innovation.
However, moving from vision to implementation is not straightforward.
Offers & Orders is not a transformation that any one organization can deliver alone. Progress requires alignment on standards, coordination across stakeholders and collaboration throughout the travel value chain. Technology is a critical enabler, but successful implementation also depends on people, processes and industry-wide engagement.
This is why collaboration remains at the heart of the journey.
Across recent industry forums, the conversation has increasingly focused on practical implementation, shared learning and measurable progress. Airlines, travel sellers, technology providers and buyers are exchanging experiences, addressing common challenges and working together to accelerate adoption.
At the same time, other developments are helping shape the future of airline retailing. Payment modernization continues to advance, digital identity is gaining traction, and AI is creating new opportunities across the customer journey. Together, these developments are helping define the next phase of industry transformation.
That makes continued industry dialogue more important than ever.
As implementation accelerates, opportunities to share lessons learned and showcase real-world progress become increasingly valuable. Bringing the industry together helps ensure that transformation happens not in isolation, but across the wider ecosystem.
Our focus remains clear: shaping the future of airline retailing through collaboration and innovation. Since the Modern Airline Retailing vision was introduced in 2022, significant progress has been made. The journey is far from complete, but momentum continues to build.
Modern Airline Retailing is no longer just a vision. It's happening.
Want to see what's next? The Retail and Distribution (Offers & Orders) track will bring together industry stakeholders to exchange insights, discuss implementation experiences and explore the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Explore the track program (pdf) to discover the latest session topics and meet the confirmed speakers driving the next phase of Modern Airline Retailing and Offers & Orders implementation.
Join industry leaders at WFS & WPS 2026 on 28-29 October 2026 in Macau (SAR), China. See you there!
