Qatar wins the 2014 AGM hosting bid - and says Doha will be ready

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker welcomed IATA delegates to the idea of Qatar as the centre of the aviation industry for three days next year as Doha was named as the venue for the next IATA annual general meeting and world air transport summit.

"People will see that Qatar is about more than sun and sand," he said. There will be a lot of surprises. But this is not just about Qatar but also the other Gulf states. This will be the first time that the IATA AGM will come to the Gulf."

The event will draw the top leadership of the air transport industry to Doha from 1–3 June 2014.

“Qatar will be a fantastic location for the 70th IATA AGM. It is at the heart of the fast-growing and dynamic Middle East region. The government understands the power of aviation to drive economic growth and development. And the country’s approach to aviation is a beacon for our industry. I am confident that its flagship airline, Qatar Airways, will host the world’s aviation community with the tremendous style and warm hospitality for which it has become famous,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO.

IATA’s member airlines accepted the invitation of Qatar Airways to host the AGM in 2014 at the close of the 69th IATA AGM in Cape Town, South Africa. Qatar Airways has been an IATA member since 1997. In 2004, it became the first airline to join the registry of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). And Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, has served on the IATA Board of Governors since 2012.

This will be the fourth time that the IATA AGM will be hosted in the Middle East following AGMs in Amman, Jordan (1997), Tehran, Iran (1970) and Cairo, Egypt (1946).

Al Baker said he would be proud to show IATA delegates the new Hamad International Airport and his airline's first A380.

Asked whether the airport would be open in time for the IATA event Al Baker laughed and said: "We are Hamad International Airport not Brandenberg Gate. It will be ready by the end of the year." While not giving a specific date for the opening Al Baker said that the initial delays were caused by a contractor failure that stopped the public security certification from happening but said there was a second delay by a contractor completing lounges at the airport. "We are a world class five star airline and the lounges are part of that. Everything else is ready. The baggage system is running full time with dummy bags and has been for some months."

Al Baker said the move to grant the next AGM to Qatar was a great honour for the country and the airline. "It is recognition of Qatar developing as a fast emerging and successful global aviation hub. As a member of the IATA Board of Governors, I continue my commitment and dedication to support IATA members in the region and globally as Qatar Airways continues to grow in its role as a leading international network airline of choice. We look forward to aviation industry leaders witnessing the new infrastructural developments in the country.”

The 69th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Cape Town closed today after attracting some 700 aviation leaders from among IATA’s 240 member airlines, industry stakeholders and strategic partners. It also attracted the attendance of over 200 journalists representing major media outlets from around the world.

PICTURED: Tony Tyler and Akbar al Baker sign the agreement to bring the 70th IATA AGM to Doha.