The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will open the IATA 67th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Singapore on 6 June 2011. 

The IATA AGM will bring together 700 leaders of the $600 billion global aviation industry for two days of intense discussions on the industry’s most important issues. This year’s AGM promises to be particularly eventful. “After a record-breaking profit in 2010, 2011 opened with a series of crises and shocks—unprecedented even for aviation. Rising oil prices, political unrest, natural disasters, human tragedies and even another volcano eruption have all challenged this industry. We will have lots to discuss in Singapore,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

In addition to Deputy Prime Minister Shanmugaratnam’s remarks, AGM highlights include the State of the Industry address by IATA’s Director General and CEO, and the release of a new industry financial outlook. Vision 2050, an initiative launched by Bisignani at IATA’s 2010 AGM to identify the drivers of aviation’s success by looking ahead four decades, will be another focus for the delegates’ discussions. A weekend retreat with 35 strategic thinkers, held in Singapore earlier this year, challenged and refined the Vision, which will be presented at the AGM.

Three panel discussions with key industry leaders will be featured. Confirmed speakers are:

CEO Forum: Anthony Albanese, Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport; Tim Clark, Emirates; Andrés Conesa, Aeroméxico; Robert Milton, ACE Aviation; Emirsyah Satar, Garuda; Antonio Vázquez, Iberia and IAG; and Douglas Steenland, former CEO and President of Northwest Airlines

Aviation in a Dangerous World (Security): Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of World Customs Organization, Siza Mzimela, South African Airlines; Elyezer Shkedy, El Al;Ron Noble, Secretary General of Interpol and John Pistole, Administrator of the US Transportation Security Administration

Partnering for Profitability: Jim Albaugh, Boeing; Richard Deakin, UK NATS; Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports; Harry Hohmeister, SWISS; James Hogan, Etihad and Marthinus van Schalkwyk, South African Minister of Tourism

“Singapore is the perfect place to meet,” said Bisignani. “It is IATA’s home in Asia-Pacific—the location of the IATA regional office. But even more importantly, Singapore is a great aviation success story. The vision of the government to build a modern economy based on connectivity has created one of the world’s most dynamic business hubs. Air transport has played a key role in this development. And with India to the West and China to the East, we are reminded of the great future potential of this vibrant region,” said Bisignani.

Singapore Airlines is hosting the event.  This is the third time that Singapore will host the IATA AGM. The first was in 1976, followed by 2004. At the 2004 meeting, IATA launched Simplifying the Business. This ongoing initiative to modernize industry processes has already delivered key conveniences such as e-ticketing, common-use kiosks and bar-coded boarding passes.