Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani with other officials at the IATA 78th AGM and World Air Transport Summit in Doha.
Doha: The second day of International Air Transport Association (IATA) 78th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit (WATS) was attended by top officials in the country including the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani; and Minister of Transport (MoT), H E Jassim bin Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti.
Also in attendance were Minister of Finance, H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari; Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari; Minister of Environment and Climate Change, H E Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani; and Minister of State of Energy Affairs, H E Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, along with other officials.
Minister of Transport, H E Al Sulaiti recognised the role of IATA in uniting the world and working for safe, secure, sustainable, and accessible air transport. The event started on Sunday and will conclude today.
The minister continued that the three-day conference is an exceptional opportunity to discuss the current situation and future challenges, focused on sustainability and in addressing to reach net zero carbon emission by 2050. It was October 2021 that IATA approved a resolution for the global air transport to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2050, which is in line with the Paris Agreement.
Al Sulaiti also affirmed the country’s commitment to work alongside the aviation sector to support the advancement of commercial aviation globally.
Moreover, he also highlighted the efforts in advancing the transport sector, especially aviation. “The State of Qatar has the best airport and the best airline in the world, in addition to Hamad Port which will be a beacon in the world of ports.” Recently, Hamad International Airport was named as the World’s Best Airport for the second year at the SkyTrax Airport Awards 2022. And currently, Qatar Airways holds the Airline of the Year 2021, also from SkyTrax.
The Minister noted that the country has the largest fleet of electric buses for public transport, which enhances the position of the country as a “leader in the field of mass transportation of clean energy.” The use of fully electric-powered buses reflects the gradual materialisation of Ministry of Transport’s plans of shifting of public buses, government school buses and Doha Metro feeder buses to electric buses, thus achieving the percentage that is required to reduce harmful carbon emissions from buses by the year 2030.
The Minister of Transport also revealed that MoT and the General Civil Aviation Authority are working closely with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to support its vision of sustainable growth.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, and also Chairman of IATA’s 78th AGM and WATS, H E Akbar Al Baker said: “It is an absolute privilege to be hosting our industry partners in Qatar Airways’ home city, particularly during our milestone 25th year of operations.
“It is a particular honour to receive His Highness’s patronage, which shows just how proud the State of Qatar is to hold this event. Coming together face-to-face with our aviation colleagues from across the world, provides us with the opportunity to discuss global issues affecting us all today, and to plan the best way forward for the industry.”
The event is being hosted by state-owned flag carrier airlines for the second time, it last occurred in the country in 2014.
