Symposium in Lima introduces specialist cargo stream alongside regulatory and digitalisation sessions as the industry faces shifting dynamics
IATA has reconfigured its conference streams for this year's World Cargo Symposium (WCS) in Lima, Peru, to focus on specialist cargo, regulations and digitalisation.
The trade body said its theme for 2026, Advancing Air Cargo in a Dynamic World, reflects the shifting geopolitics, new regulations and digital transformation that is shaping the industry and creating fresh opportunities across the air cargo industry.
The dedicated streams for the conference have been devised to deliver deeper insights into the changes the industry faces as well as practical solutions.
IATA has introduced a Special Cargo Stream that will cover a broad range of specialist cargo handling, from live animal transport to cold chain integrity and pharmaceuticals. The stream will also look at how smart solutions like IoT and AI can support supply chain resilience.
There will also be a regulatory stream covering customs, trade facilitation, and physical security with the aim of helping delegates navigate global standards and compliance challenges.
As in previous years, there will also be a digitalisation stream. This year, the stream will focus on ONE Record adoption, warehouse innovation, and strategies to scale digitalisation across complex regulatory environments.
Spotlight sessions will further examine the topics of innovation, sustainability, and operations.
The specialist streams and spotlight sessions will be held on day two of the conference, following the Opening Plenary on day one.
The 2025 edition of WCS welcomed nearly 2,000 delegates in Dubai, UAE. Register now to attend IATA WCS 2026, taking place from 10-12 March.
This year, the host airline is Latam Cargo.
WCS agenda outline
Monday 9 March - Meetings and workshops, including the FACE Summit (Future Air Cargo Executives Summit), the CBTA (Competency-Based Training & Assessment) Center Conference and IATA Cargo Solutions workshops.
Tuesday 10 March - Opening Plenary, encompassing a review of cargo in 2025, a sustainability and economic outlook, insights into market performance and much more.
Wednesday 11 March - Regulatory, special cargo and digitalisation streams with spotlight sessions on innovation, sustainability and operations.
Thursday 12 March - E-Commerce forum, ONE Record training, ULD forum, LAR Verify, Lithium Battery forum and Closing Plenary.
For more detail, check the WCS Roadmap.
Air Cargo News is delighted to once again serve as the principal media partner for this year’s IATA WCS.
We will be providing news, updates and video interviews from the show that can be accessed on the dedicated news page on our website, through the IATA WCS event app and via a special email sent to subscribers on each day of the event.
