Istanbul to host IATA conference. Photo: Shutterstock The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will place human performance at the center of aviation safety discussions during the 2026 World Safety and Operations Conference (WSOC), which will take place in Istanbul from October 6 to 8, 2026.
Hosted by Turkish Airlines, the conference will be held under the theme “Performance Through People: Driving Safety, Operational Agility, and Crisis Response.” The event will bring together aviation safety, operations, cabin and crisis management professionals for three days of discussions and workshops.
IATA says the focus comes as artificial intelligence, automation, data and other technologies increasingly become part of the way airlines and aviation organizations manage risk. While these tools can improve safety and operational decision-making, the people using them still need the appropriate skills, training and support.
“As technology, data, AI, and automation transform how aviation manages risk, this year’s WSOC will focus on the people who use these tools every day to make critical decisions,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Security.
He said the conference will give safety professionals an opportunity to exchange experience and address the challenges created by increasingly complex aviation operations.
Speakers will include representatives from airlines, regulators, aircraft manufacturers and aviation organizations.
Among those scheduled to participate are Turkish Airlines CEO and Executive Committee member Ahmet Olmuştur, EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet, FAA Deputy Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Jodi Baker, Boeing Chief Aerospace Safety Officer Don Ruhmann and SunExpress CEO Marcus Schnabel.
The program will be divided into four tracks covering Safety, Cabin Operations, Operations and Crisis Management. IATA says the conference will feature more than 45 hours of expert sessions and more than 15 hours of networking opportunities.
Topics will include the effect of geopolitical risks on human performance, human factors in aviation safety, risk appetite and decision-making, future safety skills and emergency response planning.
Mental health and employee support will also feature prominently, including discussions on peer support and duty of care during emergency situations.
The conference program will also include several workshops and specialist forums.
The Connecting People through Safety workshop will examine how people and systems interact and how that relationship affects safety performance.
Another session, Airspace Efficiency & Resilience, will focus on coordination, airspace management and information sharing during geopolitical disruption, severe weather and the arrival of new types of airspace users.
The conference will also examine the use of aviation safety data through the GADM program, including Flight Data eXchange and Incident Data Exchange capabilities.
An Emergency Response Planning Forum will look at preparedness and lessons from previous events, while the IATA Turbulence Aware Forum will focus on the organization's turbulence data initiative.
The 2026 WSOC will take place at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center.