IATA Chief's 5 Key Takeaways on the Future of Global Aviation

The IATA Chief reserved some of his strongest words for the European Union’s approach to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), calling its mandates ineffective and even counterproductive.

This year will be a better for airlines than last year, although slightly below the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) earlier projections. That was the verdict of IATA Director General Willie Walsh on Monday.

“The biggest positive driver is the price of jet fuel which has fallen 13% compared with 2024 and 1% below previous estimates,” Walsh said. “We anticipate airlines flying more people and more cargo in 2025 than they did in 2024, even if previous demand projections have been dented by trade tensions and falls in consumer confidence. The result is an improvement of net margins from 3.4% in 2024 to 3.7% in 2025.”

IATA expects passenger revenues to reach an all-time high of $693 billion in 2025, a 1.6% rise over 2024. This will also be bolstered by an additional $144 billion in ancillary revenues.

Speaking at a press briefing at the IATA annual general meeting in Delhi on Monday, Walsh spoke candidly about the pressures mounting across the industry — from rising tariffs and supply chain choke points to geopolitical risks and policy missteps.

Here are five big takeaways from the session that aviation stakeholders should be watching.