
For decades, aviation executives have spoken about the “Asian Century.” At this year’s IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the numbers suggest that century has arrived. Over the next two decades, Asia-Pacific is expected to add 2.4 billion passengers, growing from 1.7 billion travellers in 2024 to 4.1 billion by 2044. That…

For years, the aviation industry’s centre of gravity has been slowly moving east. At this year’s IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, that shift felt less like a prediction and more like a reality. While much of the discussion around Europe focused on regulation, taxation and competitiveness, the conversation around North Asia…

The mood around European aviation at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro is one of cautious optimism tempered by growing frustration. Airlines are preparing for another busy summer. Passenger demand remains strong. Aircraft are full. Airports are crowded. Yet beneath the surface, many of the industry’s biggest challenges are becoming more…

New Phocuswright research confirms Spain as Europe’s strongest travel market, with 96.8 million visitors and 7% revenue growth in 2025. The findings arrive as senior travel executives prepare to gather in Barcelona for Phocuswright Europe 2026, where research presentations, executive interviews and market analysis will examine the forces driving Europe’s travel economy. Spain welcomed…

Curated Spaces – the world’s first travel booking platform powered by tastemakers – expands internationally into Europe. The next phase of growth will see the platform introduce a curated portfolio of independent stays across countries such as, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal and Greece, including storybook châteaux, seaside hideaways, romantic rural retreats, and characterful countryside…

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is expanding the presence of its cargo offerings in Latin America, including the Cargo Accounts Settlement Systems (CASS). Cargo tonne kilometers for carriers based in the region grew an average 3.3% year-on-year in the 10 years to April 2026, resulting in a cumulative growth of 38.8% over the…

Most airline passengers interact with an alliance before they realise one exists. The lounge access waiting at the other end of a long-haul flight. The frequent-flyer miles earned on a carrier they have never flown before. The ability to check baggage in London and collect it in Sydney despite travelling on multiple airlines with…

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that leaders of the global aviation industry are gathering in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the 82nd IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit (WATS) on 6-8 June 2026. The last AGM to be held in South America was in 1999, also in Rio…

Raven, the aviation growth specialists, today launched the Customer Growth Index (CGI) at the 82nd IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro: a single, comparable rating of the digital experience that wins or loses airline bookings. The CGI scores carriers on four measures of airlines’ digital estates – speed, accessibility, booking flow and…

Qatar Airways continues to increase its capacity between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by gradually expanding frequencies between Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Dubai International Airport (DXB) from two to five daily services, starting 5 June 2026.