IATA's WFS to focus on sustainable future

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 2019 World Financial Symposium (WFS) will focus on the theme of airlines, IATA and partners working together to shape a sustainable future.

The world’s airlines are expected to report their 10th consecutive annual profit in 2019 but earnings are being squeezed. In June IATA downgraded its outlook to a net profit of $28 billion or just $6.12 per passenger, reduced from an estimated $30 billion in 2018.

“The airline industry is still earning money and we are expecting to deliver a return on invested capital for a record fifth year—but just barely. Rising fuel prices, slowing demand growth, trade wars and geopolitical tensions all are challenging the industry’s fortunes. Airline financial organizations will play a vital role in helping to carry the business through this turbulence. WFS provides a forum for finance professionals across the aviation value chain, to discuss and debate the correct strategies to achieving a sustainable future,” said Aleks Popovich, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Financial and Distribution Services.


Courtesy IATA

The WFS, which will be held in Miami, 25th-26th September 2019, is an annual aviation event tackling global airline financial issues. The opening plenary will feature an address by Anko Van der Werff, CEO of Avianca, on the vision for the future. An invitation-only high impact seminar will examine the top challenges for sustainability with a focus on the environment and why it is now a CFO issue. Concurrent session tracks will look at developments in Payment, and Financial Strategy and Risk, covering topics such as:
• Fraud risk and prevention
• Trade war nationalism impact on the corporate treasury
• Payment strategies to improve the passenger experience
• New card and non-card payment solutions
• Credit risk management
• PSD2 and strong customer authorization: what’s next?
• Cryptocurrency and banks: a new era?
• Countdown to the end of LIBOR

In addition, the Innovation Jam Session will return for a third year and the Meet the Experts session makes its second appearance. As has become a tradition, the Global Fraud Prevention Event will be held just prior to WFS.