IATA will centre its 2026 World Safety and Operations Conference on the human elements of aviation safety and resilience, with the event scheduled for 6-8 October in Istanbul and hosted by Turkish Airlines. Under the theme “Performance Through People,” the gathering will examine how crews and operations teams use technology, data, artificial intelligence and automation in daily decision-making, disruption response and process improvement.
The programme is set to bring together speakers from Turkish Airlines, EASA, the FAA, Boeing, SunExpress, Global Aerospace, CANSO, GoCrisis and Blake Emergency Services, reflecting a broad audience across airline operations, regulators, manufacturers and crisis response. Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security, framed the conference around the need for skills and support so teams can apply new technologies effectively.
Four tracks will run across the event: Safety, Cabin Operations, Operations and Crisis Management. Workshops and forums will cover human factors, airspace efficiency and resilience, safety data, emergency response planning and Turbulence Aware, placing operational decision-making and training at the centre of the agenda as airlines face increasing digitalisation and automation.