Dublin - the new venue for IATA World Cargo Symposium

September 13, 2021: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has shifted its 14th World Cargo Symposium (WCS) venue to Convention Centre Dublin, Ireland from Istanbul, Turkey and will be held on the dates decided as earlier, i.e. October 12-14, 2021.

The new dates were announced in December last year.

Dublin is not new to hosting IATA events. In 2016, the Irish capital was the venue for IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit hosted by Aer Lingus. Dublin was also the venue for IATA AGM in 1962.

The 14th IATA WCS scheduled from March 10 to 12, 2020, at Hilton Istanbul Bomonti, Turkey, was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Later, it was rescheduled from March 9 - 11, 2021, at the same venue.

IATA global head of cargo Brendan Sullivan has confirmed the decison while speaking at Cargo Masterminds, a video series hosted by the STAT Media Group. He stated that it will be held as a physical event with some virtual elements.

IATA website does not show any host airline or any platinum sponsor as of now. The earlier event in Istanbul was supposed to be hosted by Turkish Airlines.

Attended by airlines, solution providers, freight forwarders, airports, ground handlers, regulators, and media, “the symposium will feature plenary sessions, specialised tracks, workshops and executive summits, tackling aspects related to technology & innovation, security and customs, cargo operations and sustainability,” the website reads.