Qatar Airways will host the 70th International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Doha from June 1 to 3.

This year's event will be particularly signficiant as the aviation industry is celebrating 100 years since the first scheduled commercial flight, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

It was in January 1914 that the first commercial passenger flight took place in Florida, when former Mayor of St Petersburg purchased a ticket to make the 23-minute journey across the bay separating Tampa and St Petersburg, Florida.

That event marked the birth of the global airline industry and in a happy coincidence, Qatar Airways is launching a direct flight from Doha to Miami in Florida next month, 100 years later and just six days after the IATA AGM.

Some 240 airlines around the world are members of IATA and the forthcoming AGM is expected to attract more than 1,000 senior aviation industry delegates, including a contingent of more than 200 international media.

Key themes of airline industry reputation, the global aviation skills supply and aircraft noise developments are expected to be discussed during the three-day conference.

"Qatar Airways is a strong supporter of IATA, and as such is looking in keen anticipation to hosting this event," remarked Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker.

"This year's AGM is the first to be held in the Middle East since Amman, Jordan, in 1997, and this is only the fourth time that the meeting has been held in the region," he noted.

"As guests and aviation leaders descend on Doha this June, we look forward to them witnessing the new infrastructural developments in our country, especially the new Hamad International Airport, the world's newest airport gateway," he added.-TradeArabia News Service