ICAO Council President to Open IATA Wings of Change Europe Event

21 September (Geneva) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Toshiyuki Onuma, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), will open the Wings of Change Europe (WOCE) on 15 October in Brussels, Belgium, the heart of European policymaking.

Onuma headlines a strong list of confirmed speakers for Europe's premier aeropolitical conference which aims to shape a regulatory agenda for an efficient and competitive European aviation sector.

"In a world characterized by fragmentation, air transport is a critical example of the value of global standards. Having the President of the ICAO Council participate in the WOCE discussions in Brussels is a reminder of how important global standards and approaches are for a competitive and connected Europe.

Europe needs the economic and social benefits of a competitive and sustainable aviation sector more than ever, but the jobs, growth, and prosperity that aviation generates throughout the economy are imperilled by onerous regulation and high costs. Intense competition between airlines is good for passengers, but European airlines are struggling with notoriously thin margins and high oil prices that threaten to limit opportunities for investment in expanding connectivity. WOCE is an opportunity for industry, government, and global institutions to unite and set the course to improve European air transport competitiveness," said Thomas Reynaert, IATA's Senior Vice President External Affairs.

WOCE's panel debates and presentations will focus on issues including:

• The challenging geopolitical landscape
• Competitiveness and the Draghi report two years on
• The economic outlook and the value of aviation to Europe
• Key priorities on the EU horizon
• Passenger rights, airport legislation, and safety issues

The current lineup of speakers includes political and EU regulatory leaders such as:

Filip Cornelis, Director for Aviation, DG MOVE, European Commission
Jean-Luc Crucke, Minister of Mobility, Climate, and Ecological Transition, Belgium
Tamar Ioseliani, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Georgia
Magda Kopczynska, Director-General, DG MOVE, European Commission
Eddy Liégeois, Head of Unit, Aviation Policy, DG MOVE, European Commission
Dominik Piotrowski,Acting Head of Unit, Social Aspects, Passenger Rights & Equality, DG MOVE, European Commission

And industry CEOs including:

• Selahattin Bilgen, CEO, Istanbul Grand Airport (iGA)
• Peter Gerber, CEO, Condor
• Florian Guillermet, Executive Director, EASA
• Samer Majali, Vice Chairman / Board Designee CEO, Royal Jordanian
• Pieter van Oord, President & CEO, Royal Schiphol Group
• Wouter Roels, President Europe, FedEx 

WOCE will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brussels City Hotel, on 15 October. The event follows on directly from the IATA World Sustainability Symposium which is being held on 13-14 October at the same venue.