What’s On The Horizon For: IATA

Global trade association IATA spoke to Routes during Routes Europe 2025 in Seville, Spain, to discuss its evolving solutions for the aviation industry and latest product developments.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, IATA represents more than 340 airlines, accounting for over 80% of global air traffic, and maintains a presence in more than 50 countries. The global trade association is focused on shaping the growth of a safe, secure, and sustainable air transport industry, offering a range of data-driven tools that help industry stakeholders make informed decisions.

Speaking at Routes Europe 2025, assistant director travel and tourism Marc Heinicke emphasized the importance of timely, accurate data in airline planning.

A key solution in IATA’s portfolio is AirportIS, a tool used by airports worldwide to analyze passenger trends, evaluate route performance, and uncover growth opportunities. IATA recently enhanced the platform’s utility by reducing data latency, allowing users to access updated data just two weeks after month-end close, improving the speed and accuracy of strategic planning.

IATA has also introduced the Direct Data Solution (DDS), a centralized global database that provides airlines with access to sales, market, and itinerary data. Designed for integration into airlines’ internal analysis systems, DDS supports quicker, data-led decisions on route profitability and network optimization.

Speaking at IATA’s exhibition stand at Routes Europe 2025 in Seville, Heinicke said: “We have been coming to Routes for at least 15 years and we come back year after year. This is where we have the opportunity to meet our stakeholders in one place over the course of three days which is fantastic. It’s also great to meet new, potential clients and Routes gives us that opportunity.”

As a long-standing member of the Routes 360 platform, IATA often utilize the exclusive email campaign feature to promote its upcoming events to the route development industry.

Heinicke added: “We are using Routes 360 to market ourselves to the community. We run our own events and can use the platform to tell the community what we are planning which works well for us.”

The trade association has uploaded products and services on its Routes 360 profile for aviation professionals to consider.