By Rafiq Vayani
GENEVA: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will hold its 2026 edition of the World Data Symposium (WDS) in Singapore on 8–9 April. The Symposium will bring together data, technology, and cybersecurity leaders to share ideas and showcase real use cases around three themes driving transformation in aviation:
- Using data to drive operational efficiency and stronger strategic decision-making.
- Strengthening cybersecurity readiness and resilience across the entire aviation value chain.
- Leveraging AI and automation to transform operational performance and enhance passenger experience.
“Data is one of aviation’s most powerful strategic assets. The IATA World Data Symposium is where aviation and technology professionals share expertise and accelerate progress toward a smarter, safer, and more connected future. Two timely focus areas for this second edition will look at how AI fits into aviation’s digital future, and deep dive into making aviation more cyber-resilient. As the pace of digital innovation accelerates, WDS is an important check-in where those driving digital innovation can take stock of global developments,” said Kim Macaulay, IATA’s Senior Vice President Information & Data and Chief Information & Data Officer.
Speakers and Sessions: Looking into the key issues in more details, the WDS program will include the following sessions:
- CEO Panel: Digital Transformation in Aviation
- Open AI in the Aviation Industry
- Securing the Digital Flight Path: Agentic AI, Cloud Security, and Aviation Resilience
- Digital Twins in Aviation and Airports
- Navigating Today’s Turbulence, Securing Tomorrow’s Skies
- From Arenas to Airports: How Smart Stadium Tech Can Inspire Aviation
- K-innovation Stories from Korea
Singapore Airlines, the event’s official airline partner, will join the discussions with contributions from Goh Choon Phong, its Chief Executive Officer, and George Wang, SVP Information Technology. The IATA team will include Willie Walsh, Director General, Kim Macaulay, SVP Information & Data, Chief Information & Data Officer, and Dr. Marie Owens Thomsen, SVP Sustainability and Chief Economist. Other speakers include:
- Capt. Nasaruddin A. Bakar, President & Group CEO, Malaysia Aviation Group
- Chai Eamsiri, Chief Executive Officer, Thai Airways
- Olivier Beaujean, VP & Chief Information Officer, Cargolux
- Masaya Fukushima, Vice President of System Management Department, Japan Airlines
- Pratik Patel, Global VP Customer Operations, DHL Global Forwarding
- Yanling Liu, SVP Airport Ops and Transformation, Changi Airport Group
- Bum-ho Kim, Vice President, Incheon International Airport Corporation
- Pablo Fernandez Kruk, VP Digital Strategy, Airlines AI Studio, Golant
- David Fairman, Chief Information Officer & Chief Security Officer APAC, Netskope
- Andrew Sellers, VP Technology Strategy and Enablement, Confluent
Registration
