Airline industry group the International Air Transport Association (IATA) aims to put passengers front and centre at a 3-day summit next month.
IATA’s 2022 World Passenger Symposium – which takes place from November 1-2 in Bahrain – will take ‘Unlocking Value Creation by Putting the Customer First’ as its central theme.
IATA director general Willie Walsh said: “Like any business, airlines are most successful when they meet customer expectations. Global standards help to facilitate this. The challenge is ensuring the standards keep pace with technology-driven innovations and evolving customer demands around digital.”
“Air travellers expect transparency wherever they shop for fares, and other airline products, customised offers; bag tracking and contactless processing at airports. I look forward to discussing how we are making these advancements and more happen at this year’s IATA World Passenger Symposium,” Mr Walsh said.
The symposium will touch on the following topics:
- Enabling customer centricity in a new open ecosystem
- How are airlines adopting to the change of customer centricity and true retailing
- Competition in the aggregation space
- Customers at the center of contactless travel
- Overcoming baggage challenges for a better customer experience
- Providing customers with an eco-friendly airport experience
- End-to-end biometrics technology driving airport development
- Airport accessibility and inclusive design
- Transport of mobility aids
- Disability and accessibility research: what is new and why it matters for aviation
Gulf Air will host the event.
“Our customers are our top priority at Gulf Air. This conference provides a valuable opportunity for the aviation industry to discuss and debate initiatives and standards relating to putting the passenger first. We are very excited to be hosting the IATA World Passenger Symposium and look forward to welcoming the speakers and delegates to Bahrain,” said Captain Waleed AlAlawi, Gulf Air acting chief executive.