Countries are shifting toward national priorities reducing emphasis on global standards established under the Chicago Convention, IATA congress has been told.
Delegates discussed how fragmentation in regulations and technology spheres between major powers is creating route and operational complexities.
Speaking at the IATA 2026 congress in Rio de Janeiro Marie Owens Thompson expressed concern over the move away from multilateralism and its effects on network integrity. Political changes in Europe and Latin America illustrated ongoing volatility.
Sanctions and rerouting increased costs while institutions faced tests from individual leaders. Populism and domestic politics influenced policy in multiple regions.
Airlines pursued network diversification through acquisitions such as moves into new European markets. Consolidation discussions continued in various geographies.
The sessions focussed on the risks to global connectivity from divergent rules and the need to maintain harmonised frameworks.
Willie Walsh shared: “Our greatest anxiety is therefore the trend that we’re seeing against multilateralism and in favour of everybody conducting more me first policies. Once you start losing routes as we see in response to things like that or war they also do not just pop back. We need globally harmonised rules if we’re going to have a global civil aviation system.”
