Photo: Shutterstock The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will bring airline industry leaders together in Macao next month for a joint event focused on how technology, finance and passenger services are changing air travel.
The World Financial Symposium (WFS) and World Passenger Symposium (WPS) will take place on October 28 and 29, 2026, under the theme “From Vision to Value: The Next Era of Air Travel.”
The two-day event will bring together executives from airlines and other parts of the aviation industry to discuss developments in airline retailing, financial services, passenger experience and digital technology.
IATA said the discussions will focus on turning technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital identity, biometrics and new payment systems into practical improvements for airlines and passengers.
“Artificial intelligence, modern airline retailing, digital identity, and new payment solutions have enormous potential to transform how airlines operate and how people experience air travel,” said Sandrine Le Borgne, IATA’s Interim Director General, Senior Vice President, Corporate Services and CFO.
She said the symposium will examine what is already delivering results, where challenges remain and how airlines can use innovation to improve the passenger journey while strengthening business performance, efficiency and resilience.
The event will open with remarks from Le Borgne and Stanley Pun, president of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Macao SAR. The opening program will also include IATA's Industry Economic Outlook and the results of the association's 2026 Global Passenger Survey.
The Retail and Distribution track will examine the development of Offers and Orders, including lessons from airlines already implementing the model and the potential role of artificial intelligence in creating more relevant offers for passengers.
The Financial Services and Processing track will focus on managing financial volatility, reducing payment costs and adapting airline financial processes as the industry moves from traditional tickets toward an order-based model.
Passenger Experience and Accessibility discussions will look at digital identity and biometrics, as well as ways to simplify border and baggage processes and make air travel more accessible.
China will have a particular focus during the event, with senior executives from Chinese airlines expected to discuss the country's use of digital innovation, modern airline retailing, Offers and Orders and IATA's One ID initiative.
The speaker lineup includes Fangxing Fu, CFO of China National Aviation Holding Corporation; Tim Yu, president of Hainan Airlines Holding; Tamur Goudarzi Pour, EVP Strategy and member of the Executive Committee at Lufthansa Group; Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial officer of Air India; and Julius Thairu, chief commercial and customer officer of Kenya Airways.
Uku Sarekanno, deputy executive director of Frontex, will also participate, bringing a border-management perspective to discussions around digital identity and passenger processing.
The symposium will take place in Macao on October 28–29, with the discussions bringing together commercial, financial, operational and customer-experience leaders from across the aviation sector.