The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 2025 World Safety and Operations Conference (WSOC) will be held from 14th to 16th October 2025 in Xiamen, China.
The conference is hosted by Xiamen Airlines.
IATA director-general Willie Walsh pointed out that this year’s conference is focused on a safer future for global aviation.
He said: “Our efforts to date have made aviation operations safer. Evolving technologies, including AI, will enable us to do even better as the landscape of risks changes. WSOC is the opportunity to look at technology and risk as we examine topics including safely managing the proliferation of lithium batteries carried by travelers, GNSS interference near conflict zones, improving accident reporting, managing supply chain challenges, and maintaining spectrum integrity in the face of growing telecom needs. By addressing these and other issues today we’ll be better prepared to take on the challenges of the future.”
China plays its part
For Xiamen Airlines’ chair Zhao Dong, hosting WSOC 2025 in Xiamen highlights China’s important role in shaping the future of aviation safety.
Zhao said: “As one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing air transport markets, China has built a strong safety record while making significant investments in new infrastructure and technology. Holding WSOC here is especially meaningful: it offers Chinese carriers a platform to share their experience in building safe and reliable operations.”
Zhao added that the event also presents China’s insights and global expertise to forge shared best practices.
A full slate
Walsh, Zhao, and Mark Searle, IATA’s Global Director of Safety will be speaking at the event along with:
- Xie Bing, CEO and President, Xiamen Airlines
- Senior Leadership, Civil Aviation Administration of China
- Senior Executive, COMAC
- Yannick Malinge, SVP and Chief Product Safety Officer, Airbus
- Elmarie Marais, CEO, GoCrisis
- Al Madar, VP Operational Safety and Deputy Chief Aerospace Safety Officer, Boeing
- Crispin Orr, Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch
- Foong Ling Huei, Director Flight Standards, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
Likewise, key dimensions of safety and operations will be discussed in four main tracks.
These are::
- Safety: Topics covered will include predictive risk management, delivering Risk-Based Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) through data-rich insights, preparing the next generation of safety auditors, measuring organizational and industry safety performance, accident investigations, runway safety, and organization-wide safety strategies;
- Cabin Operations: Topics covered in this track will include human factors, best practices in the safe carriage of lithium batteries by travelers, crew safety, and door safety;
- Flight Operations: Topics include the latest developments in training (competency and performance-based training), radio spectrum and air navigation system resilience, parts management and supply chain issues, AI for maintenance, fuel efficiency, and sustainability initiatives; and
- Crisis Management: Topics covered in this track will include latest developments in crisis management, aircraft removal, crisis communication, the role of leadership, family and employee assistance.
In addition, several workshops will be held for attendees; specifically:
- IOSA Workshop: A practical, one-day event to explore IATA’s operational safety audit program and share insights on risk-based auditing;
- Turbulence Aware Forum: An interactive session on how IATA’s Turbulence Aware program uses data-driven insights to help airlines and partners better understand and manage turbulence in daily operations; and
- Airspace Optimisation Workshop: A global discussion on strategies and best practices to enhance the efficiency, capacity, and safety of airspace management.
