GBTA and IATA announce collaboration

 Geneva-The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)—the voice of the global business travel industry—announced its collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on a GBTA Foundation study on the use of corporate data by business travel aggregators.

The report is the first step in gaining a better understanding of this issue, which is of great importance to GBTA members. In addition to cooperating on the report, IATA will host a webinar for GBTA members on November 13th demonstrating the PaxIS and DDS products available to the air transport and travel and tourism industries.

This initiative is the first in a series of possible joint efforts by the two organizations encompassing such issues as the need for a global approach to aviation emissions rather than a regional approach like Europe’s Emissions Trading Scheme; the desirability of trusted traveler programs for streamlined and secure business traveler airport processing; and promoting the value of air travel in fostering economic growth. The report and the potential for broader collaborative efforts are the outcome of a recent meeting between the two organisations.

Talking about the collaboration, Aleksander Popovich, IATA senior vice president, Industry Distribution and Financial Services said, “IATA and GBTA represent different segments of the same value chain. Our respective memberships depend upon the overall success of this value chain with the need for a common voice. Working together, we can help each other to better understand customer needs for our products and services. We welcome this new era of collaboration.”

Paul Tilstone, managing director of GBTA Europe said about the upcoming study on the use of data, “This is an issue of great interest and importance for corporate buyers in Europe in particular. We look forward to the outcome of the GBTA Foundation report as a means of bringing facts to our members, and to working together in future with IATA on subjects of shared interest to our members and customers.”

GBTA and IATA have also agreed on a set of practical steps to provide greater insights between airlines and corporate travel buyers.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings organization. Collectively, GBTA’s 5,000-plus members manage over $340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its network of 17,000 business and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers, with networking events, news, education & professional development, research, and advocacy. IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 240 airlines comprising 84% of global air traffic. Source :gbta.org