The Chinese aviation market will continue to improve - Interview with Willy Walsh, Chairman of the International Air Transport Association Civil Aviation | China | Aviation

Recently, Willy Walsh, Chairman of the International Air Transport Association, embarked on his first visit to China since taking office. For this trip to China, Walsh expressed that, as he had imagined, he had gained a lot. He not only had in-depth exchanges of views with the Civil Aviation Administration of China on issues such as the restoration of international air transportation, cooperation in civil aviation safety and operation, and sustainable development of civil aviation, but also had exchanges with multiple member airlines and strategic partners. During his visit to China, Walsh was interviewed by media such as Economic Daily and expressed his views on the recovery process of the global aviation industry and the performance of the Chinese aviation market.

In the interview, Walsh first mentioned the performance of the Chinese aviation market. Walsh said that since the beginning of this year, the recovery of domestic flights in China has been very strong, reaching the level of 115% before the COVID-19 epidemic, and international flights are also showing a trend of continuous recovery. In addition, Chinese airlines not only have a good reputation internationally, but also have a global aviation network. We believe that the prospects of the Chinese aviation market will continue to improve.

"For the International Aviation Association, China is an extremely important market with good growth prospects. Thanks to the reopening of China's borders, the International Aviation Association adjusted its outlook for the aviation industry in June, raising the net profit of the global aviation industry to $9.8 billion.".

Walsh emphasized that the International Aviation Association attaches great importance to the Chinese market and will continue to fulfill its commitment to supporting the high-quality development of China's civil aviation industry in the future. For a long time, the International Air Transport Association has closely contacted relevant government departments such as the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and actively cooperated with member airlines and other important partners in the civil aviation industry. By sharing globally recognized industry standards, efficient service process suggestions, and cutting-edge solutions, it helps Chinese airlines achieve their goals of cost reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement.

After optimizing and adjusting epidemic prevention and control measures in China, the International Air Transport Association fully supports the recovery of China's civil aviation and tourism industry. Since January, the International Aviation Association has actively assisted China's civil aviation in returning to normal operations in a safe, stable, and orderly manner. This includes: quickly establishing a civil aviation industry restart working group with the participation of major Chinese airlines to assist Chinese civil aviation in resuming international passenger flights; Convene the first risk-based operational safety audit seminar and prevention of flight turbulence seminar, collaborate on the release of the Chinese versions of the Dangerous Goods Rules and the Fresh and Perishable Goods Rules, and carry out information sharing and capacity building around the development of green civil aviation and sustainable aviation fuel transformation. Promote the implementation of industry standards and implementation guidelines for non-contact passenger travel, digital freight, and full order in China, promote digital transformation and smart civil aviation construction, and assist in the safe, efficient, and sustainable development of civil aviation in China. In addition, the business training courses of various training centers in the North Asia region of the International Aviation Association have been restarted, and relevant universities in the civil aviation field have strengthened scientific research and business exchanges and cooperated to carry out talent cultivation projects. Attention has also been paid to the cultivation of female talents in the development of human resources in the civil aviation industry, and the construction and development of high-end talents in China's civil aviation industry have been strengthened.

"In the process of comprehensive recovery of the global aviation industry, the International Air Transport Association will continue to support China's return to the high-speed growth route of air travel." Walsh said that he expects Chinese airlines to play an increasingly important role and influence in the promotion and implementation of the International Air Transport Association's global projects.

Walsh pointed out that in this era where climate change is increasingly becoming a core issue, sustainable development is a key concern for the global aviation industry. At the 79th International Air Transport Association Annual Conference held earlier, the International Air Transport Association released a series of roadmaps for the aviation industry to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, covering details such as aircraft technology, energy infrastructure, operations, finance, and policy considerations for net zero carbon emissions. It emphasized the technical, policy, financial, operational, and infrastructure steps required to achieve this goal. Walsh stated that one of the key factors for the entire industry to achieve low-carbon transformation is to vigorously develop sustainable aviation fuels. Therefore, one of the priorities for 2023 includes incentives for sustainable aviation fuel production and accelerating the achievement of net zero carbon emissions. In this regard, the International Aviation Association calls on all stakeholders in the aviation industry to take action, provide necessary tools, policies, and products suitable for a net zero world, to ensure the success of this fundamental transformation in the aviation industry.