International Air Transportation Association

The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) is a trade association made up of most of the world’s airlines. Unlike the International Civil Aeronautics Organization (ICAO), IATA is operated privately. Although it is not affiliated with any governments, IATA did help advise in the creation of many of the provisions in the Chicago Convention.

Through a set of agreements signed by its members, the IATA helps support various aspects of air travel and air commerce, including safety standards, environmental issues and pricing. They also help formulate policies and are available to confer with legislators and regulatory committees that are involved in drafting government regulations.

The IATA was among the earliest adopters of what was known as the Japanese Initiative, a commitment made in the 1990s by many airlines to reject the liability limits of the Warsaw Convention and award full-compensatory damages to families unless the airline could prove that it took all necessary measures to avoid the accident. Because of this agreement, the provision was later made official with its inclusion in the Montreal Convention.