For years, the aviation industry’s centre of gravity has been slowly moving east.
At this year’s IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, that shift felt less like a prediction and more like a reality.
While much of the discussion around Europe focused on regulation, taxation and competitiveness, the conversation around North Asia centred on growth, digital transformation and the emergence of China as a force that is increasingly shaping the future direction of global aviation. According to IATA’s Regional Vice President for North Asia, Xie Xingquan, the region’s story is no longer simply about recovery. It is about scale, influence and transformation.