Day two of the IATA World Data Symposium on February 27 was marked by a series of insightful discussions and presentations on emerging trends in data, technology, and cybersecurity in the aviation industry.
Thursday’s programme commenced with a panel discussion titled “Unlocking Multi-cloud Potential,” moderated by Bogdan Pasol, Head Data Engineering and Operations at IATA. The panel featured Shiju Thomas from Qatar Airways, Jake Sims from Emirates, and industry leaders from Google Cloud, Microsoft, and AWS, who shared best practices and case studies on utilising multi-cloud strategies to achieve flexibility, cost-efficiency, and enhanced performance.
Following this, Javier Barrachina, R&D Director at Facephi, provided a presentation on “Know Your Passenger,” discussing the implementation of strong identity verification technologies that enhance security and streamline passenger authentication. This session was complemented by another moderated by Gabriel Marquie, where industry representatives from Air France/KLM and Emirates introduced advancements in digital identity and their impact on seamless travel.
The symposium also delved into the critical topic of data management in aviation, featuring insights from Steve Solomon of ARC and Charles de Gheldere of IATA during the session “The Power of Data.” Industry leaders such as Zora Ho of Cathay Pacific and Rahat Yasir from IATA examined how effective data collection, storage, and sharing contribute to organizational success. A networking break allowed attendees to engage and share ideas before the focus shifted to cybersecurity challenges, including implementing Zero Trust architecture, which was discussed in a fireside chat with Martin Sckopke from Lufthansa Group and Conner Hagan from IATA.
In the afternoon, various sessions covered topics such as the evolving landscape of cybersecurity regulations and practical cybersecurity strategies for legacy systems. Experts like Michael Schmid of Lufthansa Group and Ken Munro from Pen Test Partners provided valuable insights on securing aviation ecosystems against emerging threats. The day concluded with a closing remark from Kim Macaulay, reaffirming the importance of collaboration and innovation in the aviation industry as it navigates the complexities of data and security in a digital age.
Willie Walsh Director General of IATA shared: “the first event had a great turnout, which I think is encouraging not just for this year but also for the future. This highlights the importance of data cybersecurity to AATA and the industry.
We’ve always had a lot of data—so much that I don’t think we knew what to do with it. Recently, we’ve recognized its greater value, especially with the enhancements made through data science and AI. We now understand that we can mine this data to extract even more value, but the true worth comes from sharing that data with trusted partners. This collaboration allows us to enrich the data for the benefit of our industry, particularly in terms of decision-making.
However, with every opportunity comes threats, and cybersecurity is one of the biggest threats that every industry faces—ours is no different. Therefore, we must ensure that we have strong governance in place, considering this data has been shared with us by our members. They trust us to use it sensibly and securely, and to maintain transparent governance regarding the use and security of the data. These issues are all very important for us.”
