Aviation Safety Conference Puts People at the Heart of Technology

Digital systems are changing the way airlines, airports and aviation authorities identify hazards, manage risk and respond to unexpected events.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will place human performance at the centre of its 2026 World Safety and Operations Conference, bringing aviation specialists together to examine how people, technology and operational systems can work more effectively during everyday challenges and major disruptions.

Hosted by Turkish Airlines, the conference will take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 6 to 8 October under the theme Performance Through People. Discussions will focus on the skills, working conditions and organisational support aviation professionals need as artificial intelligence, automation and data tools become more deeply involved in safety and operational decisions.

Technology still depends on human judgement

Digital systems are changing the way airlines, airports and aviation authorities identify hazards, manage risk and respond to unexpected events. These systems can process large amounts of information quickly, yet their value ultimately depends on the people using them, interpreting their findings and deciding what action should follow.

IATA Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security Nick Careen said aviation employees require the right skills and support to make the best use of investments in technology. Pilots, cabin crew, air traffic professionals, safety analysts, crisis teams and operational managers must often act under intense pressure, making their training and ability to work with advanced tools essential to safe and resilient aviation.

The conference will offer professionals an opportunity to exchange experience, learn from real situations and explore how organisations can build workplaces in which technology strengthens human decisions instead of adding new layers of complexity.

Four tracks explore safety from different angles

The programme will be organised around four tracks covering safety, cabin operations, general operations and crisis management. Sessions will examine how geopolitical instability affects employee performance, how human factors influence real-world safety and how companies can align their tolerance for risk with the abilities and limitations of their teams.

Preparing the next generation of aviation safety specialists will receive close attention, reflecting concerns about whether the industry has enough properly trained professionals to manage growing traffic, rapidly changing technology and increasingly complex operating environments.

Emergency planning sessions will consider mental health, peer support and duty of care alongside technical procedures. This approach recognises that employees responding to an accident or serious disruption may carry significant emotional strain, and that protecting their well-being can improve decision-making, recovery and organisational resilience.

Speakers will include senior representatives from IATA, Turkish Airlines, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the US Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, SunExpress Airlines, Global Aerospace, CANSO, GoCrisis and Blake Emergency Services.

Workshops turn discussion into practical action

A series of workshops and specialist forums will complement the main conference sessions. The Connecting People through Safety workshop will explore how employees and operational systems interact, giving participants practical ways to strengthen safety management and understand human factors.

A session on airspace efficiency and resilience will examine coordination, information sharing and airspace management during geopolitical disruption, severe weather and the arrival of new airspace users. Another workshop will present new Flight Data Exchange and Incident Data Exchange capabilities within IATA's Global Aviation Data Management programme, helping organisations turn operational data into stronger safety insights.

Emergency response professionals will share lessons and proven practices through a dedicated planning forum, while the IATA Turbulence Aware Forum will focus on the initiative's use of real-time turbulence data to support safer and more informed flight operations.

WSOC 2026 will carry a clear message: aviation may be transformed by algorithms, automation and expanding data networks, but safety still depends on prepared people who can communicate clearly, exercise sound judgement and respond confidently when conditions change.