IATA AGM 2025 in India: landmark event for IndiGo and India

IndiGo, the largest airline in India with a domestic market share of over 60%, is buckling up for 2025 as the Indian carrier will host the 81st International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in New Delhi from 8-10 June 2025.

However, it is not surprising that the IATA AGM will be hosted in India next year, given the country's status as the world's largest and fastest-growing civil aviation market. India also has an ambitious target of achieving 10 million tonnes of annual air cargo throughput by 2030. A Research and Markets report forecast the Indian air cargo market to reach a value of US$17.22 billion by 2028, with a healthy 5.65% annual growth rate.

The domestic air passenger traffic has already surpassed pre-Covid levels. Speaking at the Wings India 2024 event this year, India’s Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia projected that the number of domestic passengers in India is expected to surge to 300 million annually by 2030. Scindia also tweeted about IATA AGM saying “This will provide national and international stakeholders a platform to further explore the Indian aviation market and open new avenues for collaboration and sustainability.”

Scindia recently met with the advisory group for air cargo to discuss the roadmap for digitisation of Indian air cargo processes and improving systemic efficiencies.

“We look forward to gathering the aviation industry in Delhi, India’s gateway city, for the 81st IATA AGM in 2025. It’s been over four decades since the industry came together for an IATA AGM in Delhi. With record aircraft orders, impressive growth, and world-class infrastructure developments, India is firmly on the trajectory to become the world’s third-largest aviation market within this decade. With such bright prospects, it’s the perfect time for the IATA AGM to return to India and witness these exciting developments firsthand,” says Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

This is a significant milestone not only for IndiGo but also for the Indian aviation industry as the IATA AGM is happening in India after a long wait of 42 years. The country hosted the IATA AGM in 1983 and in 1958.

“IndiGo is proud to be the host airline for the 81st IATA AGM and looks forward to welcoming the global aviation community to Delhi in 2025. India, becoming the third-largest economy within the next few years and leading the fourth industrial revolution with the use of AI, is a nation on the move. India's rise in the global aviation landscape over the last years has been nothing short of remarkable, says Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo.

“IndiGo has been giving wings to the nation since 2006 and increasingly also expands internationally. Building on aviation as a force for good and India’s unique diversity, we are looking forward to engaging in meaningful dialogues aimed at sculpting the global aviation landscape around important topics such as safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as sustainability, while efficiently delivering the growing global demand for air travel,” adds Elbers.

In 1958, under the leadership of JRD Tata, the Indian flag carrier Air India hosted the IATA AGM, which was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Not only in terms of market share but also in fleet size, IndiGo stands out by operating a fleet of more than 350 aircraft. In June 2023, the airline made history by placing the largest-ever single aircraft order, securing 500 aircraft from Airbus, the airline further strengthened its position in the Indian aviation market by placing an order for 30 wide-body Airbus A350-900 aircraft recently.

Besides carrying passengers the airline also carries cargo in its freighter fleet, the airline currently has three A321 freighters which are operational while one is on order. During Cargo Masterminds, STAT Media Group’s popular video interview series, presented by cargo.one. Mark Sutch, Chief Commercial Officer for Cargo at IndiGo highlighted that the airline carried 308,000 tonnes of cargo in the financial year 2023.

IATA also announced that Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, has begun his tenure as Chair of the IATA Board of Governors (BoG). His one-year term commenced at the conclusion of the 80th IATA Annual General Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Elbers is the 82nd Chair of the IATA BoG. He served earlier on the BoG between 2016 and 2022 as KLM’s President and CEO and was reappointed to the Board in 2022 shortly after he became IndiGo’s CEO. He succeeds RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo who will continue to serve on the BoG, mentions a release from the IATA.