Eastern Air Holdings announces Eastern Airlines is the newest airline to join The International Air Transport Association (IATA).  The Company's membership will help expand its international network, utilize global best practices, and provide Eastern customers with a continuously improving experience on every Eastern flight.

"We are honored to join the IATA family.  We look forward to working closely with them as well as the vast network within the global aviation community are also committed to the highest standards of airline safety.  The notability of IATA signifies the next step of growth for Eastern as an international airline. We look forward to continuing to expand both our scheduled service, innovative cargo solutions, and more with the global aviation community," said Steve Harfst, Eastern Air Holdings President & CEO.

Through its nearly 300 members, IATA represents 83% of total air traffic globally.

"We're very pleased to welcome Eastern Airlines as IATA's newest member airline. As the trade association of the global airline industry, we look forward to working with Eastern to help drive economic recovery through restoring the freedom to fly safely and sustainably," said IATA's Regional Vice President of the Americas Peter Cerda.

IATA'S Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification audit is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline and complies with the most stringent rules and practices governing aviation safety.  Eastern Airlines received the certification earlier this year which is a requirement prior to IATA membership.