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3 February 2026 (Geneva) — The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 2026 World Cargo Symposium (WCS) will focus on ‘Advancing Air Cargo in a Dynamic World’. Under this theme, the symposium will take stock of changing global trade conditions as it examines regulatory priorities, developments in special cargo, and progress on digitalization in specialized streams. WCS will be held in Lima, Peru from 10 to 12 March hosted by LATAM Cargo. It is the first time the event will be held in South America.
‘Tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty have reshaped global trade and supply chains. The 3.4% growth pattern in air cargo demand in 2025 was strongly influenced by these developments and we can expect more of the same for 2026. This year’s WCS will focus on further strengthening air cargo’s ability to respond quickly and effectively as trade lanes shift and the value of speed and reliability across the supply chain grows,’ said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
‘Air cargo plays a vital role in connecting South America to global markets and supporting the region’s trade and economic development. Hosting the World Cargo Symposium in South America for the first time is a recognition of the region’s growing importance in global air cargo. LATAM Cargo is proud to support a forum that brings the industry together to advance regulatory priorities, digitalization, and the evolving demands of special cargo in a dynamic global environment. We look forward to connecting with our partners and stakeholders in Lima to drive meaningful progress across the industry,’ said Andres Bianchi, Chief Executive Officer, LATAM Cargo.
Speakers & Sessions
Walsh and Bianchi will be speaking at the event along with:
- Teresa Mera Gómez, Minister of Trade & Tourism for Peru
- Roberto Alvo, Chief Executive Officer, LATAM Airlines Group
- Ali Faddis, Director Global Aviation Operations, Amazon Global Air Technology & Infrastructure
- Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo
- Julia Seiermann, IATA’s Head of Industry Analysis
In addition to its main conference streams (digitalization, regulation, and special cargo), WCS will feature three spotlight sessions exploring practical pathways for the supply chain to: improve sustainability practices, accelerate the adoption of new technologies and processes, and enhance operational efficiency and resilience.
Workshops
The WCS program will be complemented by a series of workshops and recognition ceremonies including:
- Building the next generation of talent at the Future Air Cargo Executives Summit (FACES)
- Showcasing the benefits of competency-based training through IATA’s Competency-Based Training and Assessment Center (CBTA Center) and how it helps to improve workplace safety and performance.
- A practical session on ONE Record—the industry’s preferred data standard—covering the technical foundations, airline use-case implementation, and a live system demonstration from Lufthansa Cargo, and CHAMP.
- The E-Commerce Forum will identify how more visibility between e-retailers and cargo operators would improve efficiency.
- The ULD Forum will focus on ULD Design, opportunities for AI, and how ULDs can collect and report sustainability-related data.
New for 2026: the Lithium Battery Forum will provide insights on lithium battery safety and discover LAR Verify, IATA’s automated compliance solution for live animal shipments.
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