ICAO European and North Atlantic Regional Office

12/07/2018

Accelerating traffic growth and emerging challenges on the safe integration of drones, commercial space flights, and artificial intelligence were some of the key points addressed in Strasbourg, France where ICAO’s Council President and Secretary General took part in the European Civil Aviation Conference’s (ECAC) 36th Plenary Session.

During their stay in France, ICAO’s senior officials, accompanied by EUR/NAT Regional Director Mr. Luis Fonseca de Almeida, conducted bilateral meetings with Mr. Henrik Hololei, Director General, DG MOVE, European Commission, Mr. Volodymyr Omelyan, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Mr. Sangdo Kim, Director General for Aviation Safety Policy, Republic of Korea, and Mr. Kevin Shum, Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

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08/05/2018

The Secretary General of ICAO, Dr. Fang Liu, has completed an intensive series of high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings in the United Kingdom, where she encouraged the momentum on the long-term sustainability of all aspects of the international civil aviation network.

Dr. Liu undertook bilateral meetings with Baroness Sugg, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Mr. Dan Micklethwaite, the UK’s Director General for Civil Aviation, and Messrs Andrew Haines and Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive, respectively, of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The Secretary General was accompanied by the Representative of the UK on the Council, Mr. David Lloyd, and ICAO’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe and the North Atlantic, Mr. Elkhan Nahmadov.

Highlighting the pivotal contributions of air connectivity to sustainable development throughout these bilateral meetings, the Secretary General encouraged the UK continue to demonstrate leadership in aviation security and enhance the positioning of aviation issues within its global assistance strategy. The UK is commended for its significant role in the adoption and implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2309 as well as related ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and the ICAO Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP). It is stressed that the UK is particularly well placed to contribute to the holistic sustainability of global aviation in light of its leadership on assistance, being one of the few Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members to have met UN targets, and its widely recognized leadership on key aviation issues.

Dr. Liu highlighted in her bilateral meetings that the elimination of barriers to women’s participation in the workforce is of crucial importance to the aviation sector, given the tremendous traffic growth that is forecasted and the human resources that this will demand. She appreciated the UK’s exemplary approach to gender equity and committed herself to work with the UK and other ICAO Member States on their aspirations.

During her mission to London, which took place from 2 to 4 May 2018, the Secretary General also participated in the First Regular Session of 2018 of the UN System Chief Executives Board (CEB) , a United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) Principals Meeting, a meeting of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), and an individual meeting with the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr. Yury Fedotov.

At these meetings, Dr. Liu contributed to discussions towards enhancing the efficacy of the UN systems efforts towards the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and highlighted the unique and crucial contributions of the aviation sector. The ICAT and UNODC meetings furthermore resulted in agreements to strengthen the UN’s involvement in the prevention of trafficking in persons through the international civil aviation network.

15/03/2018

In an important step toward a more integrated and responsive global air traffic management (ATM) system, the ICAO Council, during its ongoing 213th Session, has adopted a new amendment to Annex 15 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) covering Aeronautical Information Services.

Page Image Image Caption​The ICAO Council, during its ongoing 213th Session. ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu highlighted that the new Amendment 40 to Annex 15 “sets an important milestone as aviation continues its current transition toward System Wide Information Management (SWI...

18/01/2018

Europe remained as the largest international market with 37% share of world international RPKs, and grew strongly by 8.1%, supported by the improved economic conditions in the region.

A new, record 4.1 billion passengers were carried by the aviation industry on scheduled services in 2017, according to the preliminary figures ICAO released today. This indicates a 7.1% increase over 2016. The number of departures rose to approximately 37 million globally, and world passenger traffi...

02/01/2018

“ICAO is very encouraged that no major hull losses and very few fatalities were reported for 2017 flights," tweeted ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu (). "These results speak to the commitment and cooperation of the governments, operators, and professional men and women worldwide who have worked so hard together to achieve them."

The Aviation Safety Network today released the preliminary 2017 airliner accident statistics showing an extremely low total of 9 fatal airliner accidents, resulting in 32 fatalities.

15/11/2017

The ICAO Council took an historic step in endorsing the very first Global Aviation Security Plan to improve international coordination, response, and planning to counter threats to civil aviation passengers, cargo, aircraft and facilities.

Page Image Image Caption​The 36-State ICAO Council. In endorsing the very first Global Aviation Security Plan today to improve international coordination, reponse, and planning relating to threats to civil aviation passengers, aircraft and facilities, the Council encouraged the ICAO Secretariat to c...

03/11/2017

At a high-level bilateral meeting that took place at ICAO’s Montréal Headquarters on 1 November 2017, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, His Excellency Mr. Volodymyr Groysman, the President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, and the Secretary General of ICAO, Dr. Fang Liu, expressed their commitment to continued cooperation towards the enhancement of the safety and security of international air navigation in ICAO’s European and North Atlantic Region (EURNAT.)

The discussions were attended by Mr. Andrii Shevchenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Mr. Stepan Kubiv, Ukraine’s First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mr. Oleksandr Saienko, Minister of the Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers. Mr. Iurii I. Kordianin, Vice President of the State Enterprise Антонов (Antonov), also accompanied Ukraine’s delegation.

The Prime Minister thanked ICAO for all its assistance towards the development of aviation in Ukraine, and emphasized Ukraine’s wish to further contribute to ICAO’s work in the Region. The President of the ICAO Council and the Secretary General expressed their appreciation of Ukraine’s support of ICAO’s initiatives to the Prime Minister, both at the regional and global levels. The recent signature of an MoU between ICAO and the National Aviation University in Kiev was highlighted by all as an excellent illustration in this regard. On a similar topic, at the meeting, Ukraine confirmed it will participate in the forthcoming Next General of Aviation Professionals Global Summit, which will be taking place on 27 and 28 November 2017 at ICAO.

Pictured, from left to right, are: Mr. Andrii Shevchenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada; Dr. Fang Liu, Secretary General of ICAO; His Excellency Mr. Volodymyr Groysman, the Prime Minister of Ukraine; Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, the President of the ICAO Council; Ukraine’s First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mr. Stepan Kubiv; Vice President of the State Enterprise Antonov, Mr. Iurii I. Kordianin; and ICAO’s Senior External Relations and Legal Officer, Mr. Benoit Verhaegen.

21/10/2017

Welcome to , ICAO’s Thirteenth Symposium and Exhibition on the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme being held in from 24 to 26 October 2017 in Montreal, Canada. The key point of the ICAO TRIP Strategy is a recognized need for a holistic and integrated approach to traveller identificatio...

18/10/2017

Cooperation and assistance are key to enhancing safety in ICAO’s Europe and North Atlantic Region

Addressing the ICAO Regional Safety Management Symposium in Tallinn, Estonia, the Secretary General of the UN specialized agency for civil aviation stressed the need to enhance cooperation and assistance in order to address safety issues affecting States in its Europe and North Atlantic (EURNAT) Region, an area that covers 56 countries stretching from Greenland to Kamchatka.

“The average effective implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) by EURNAT States is approximately 75%, which is more than 10 points above the current global average,” remarked Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu. “However, your region accounts for 32% of the global accident total while accounting for only 25% of global traffic. These figures reflect a complex portrait of safety capability and performance and point to the need for ever closer collaboration. Compliance with ICAO SARPs is key to ensuring the safety and sustainability of international air connectivity.”

Pointing to ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and the European Regional Aviation Safety Group (RASG-EUR) mechanisms, Dr. Liu underscored that the foundations and targets for safety-focused cooperation are already in place. She stressed the importance of the support from ICAO’s EURNAT Regional Office in terms of implementing these efforts, and highlighted the role of ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) in safety prioritization.

“A main tenet of effective safety management requires that the identification of global priorities evolves away from reactive analyses based solely on accidents and fatalities, and toward assessments based on risks and potential for fatalities,” Dr. Liu said, noting that safety cooperation is facilitating stakeholders’ shift from a reactive to a proactive approach. “But in order to achieve this effectively, access to safety information by States and services providers should be improved, and the exchange and sharing of relevant data encouraged.”

Stressing that continuous efforts by all ICAO States towards aviation safety had resulted in 2016 achieving the lowest ever accident rate, with 2.1 accidents per million departures, Dr. Liu noted that there was nonetheless no room for complacency even among EURNAT States with “mature safety oversight capabilities.”

“Our safety objective is zero accidents,” she said, noting that the implementation of their State Safety Programmes (SSPs) should be prioritized. “And as we continue to make significant progress in aviation safety, we must also recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to the effective implementation of State Safety Programmes and Safety Management Systems (SMS).”

Dr. Liu reiterated ICAO’s unwavering commitment to supporting and enabling States’ safety efforts, as well as her confidence that further progress can be achieved.

“From the cockpit to the ICAO Council Chamber, safety is always a fundamental priority in our global community,” she stressed.

In addition to her delivery of the Symposium’s opening address, Dr. Liu’s mission to Tallinn resulted in high-level meetings with Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure, Ms. Kadri Simson, and Mr. Henrik Hololei, the European Commission’s Director General for Mobility and Transport. These meetings contributed to the momentum for enhanced cooperation between ICAO and the European Commission and highlighted the opportunities for leveraging aviation to advance socio-economic development throughout the European Union and in Estonia in particular.

16/10/2017

Dr. Liu’s mission to Greece also provided her with an opportunity to undertake high-level bilateral meetings with Greece’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transportation, Mr. Christos Spirtzis, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Georgios Katrougalos, and General Secretary for Tourism, Infrastructure and Investments, Mr. George Tziallas, as well as with Mr. Konstantinos Lintzerakos, Governor of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. Focussing on the importance of increased air connectivity to the sustainability of the growth of Greece’s crucial tourism sector and economy, these discussions highlighted the need for continued progress on participation in and compliance with ICAO’s safety, security and environmental initiatives, and the associated need to ensure that the HCAA is appropriately structured and resourced, particularly in terms of human resources.

To achieve this, cooperation between ICAO and Greece will be strengthened at the global and regional levels, and Greece will consider participating in ICAO’s Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP) Strategy, including its Public Key Directory (PKD). The TRIP is the cornerstone of ICAO’s response to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2309 on preventing the travel of foreign terrorist fighters. It is also a key element in ICAO’s upcoming Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP.) Greece will also enhance its support of gender equality and ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals initiative in order to address the human resource challenges that were identified.

Speaking at the 2017 ICAO Global Aviation Cooperation Symposium hosted by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) and the Athens International Airport, ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu delivered a clear message on the power of ICAO-compliant civil aviation to improve the lives of people everywhere.

“The aviation system has evolved over the decades to become an irreplaceable global network connecting the world’s cultures and economies,” Dr. Liu commented. “It brings together people and businesses to the tune of 10 million passengers daily on over 100,000 flights, while supporting at the same time some 63.5 million jobs globally, fully one third of world trade by value, and more than 2.7 trillion dollars annually to global GDP.”

ICAO GACS events are designed to raise awareness on the main aviation-related challenges being faced by States and industry operators, and to highlight for them the ICAO Technical Cooperation Programme at their disposal to effectively address them. Noting that State commitments, planning and political will are critical components in any successful large-scale development project, Dr. Liu noted to the audience of high-level officials that “Your presence here, and commitment to this process, are the first and most important steps along that journey.”

Highlighting that growth in air transport flight and passenger volumes will be the main challenge facing both developed and developing States in the coming decades, Dr. Liu noted that the forecast doubling in aviation’s global capacity presents challenges to States and industry in terms of how to manage the expansion of their local facilities and infrastructure to optimize air transport’s socio-economic benefits.

“This helps explain why goal number one of this Symposium is on helping governments to manage change,” she commented, “but sectoral growth cannot be permitted to negatively impact our key strategic performance targets. Existing levels of aviation safety, security, efficiency, passenger facilitation, and environmental protection must also improve even as we expand.” In this context, cooperation in civil aviation is crucial for achieving a better level of effective implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

Recognizing that many governments in attendance at the Athens event are now keenly engaged towards achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals being worked toward under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Dr. Liu noted that the ability of air transport connectivity to permit States to expand their route networks, improve foreign market and supply chain access for local suppliers, and in the end bring wide-ranging and sustainable prosperity benefits to their local populations should figure prominently in all related development planning.

“I cannot underscore strongly enough how fundamental this ICAO compliant air connectivity is to States’ long-term socio-economic ambitions,” she underscored.

ICAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme is presently assisting more than 100 States and organizations annually with various aviation projects, and mainly in support of their capacity building and infrastructure development objectives, human resources training programmes, the recruitment of expert consultants, and the procurement of civil aviation equipment and services.

Dr. Liu’s mission to Greece also provided her with an opportunity to undertake high-level bilateral meetings with Greece’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transportation, Mr. Christos Spirtzis, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Georgios Katrougalos, and General Secretary for Tourism, Infrastructure and Investments, Mr. George Tziallas, as well as with Mr. Konstantinos Lintzerakos, Governor of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. Focussing on the importance of increased air connectivity to the sustainability of the growth of Greece’s crucial tourism sector and economy, these discussions highlighted the need for continued progress on participation in and compliance with ICAO’s safety, security and environmental initiatives, and the associated need to ensure that the HCAA is appropriately structured and resourced, particularly in terms of human resources.

To achieve this, cooperation between ICAO and Greece will be strengthened at the global and regional levels, and Greece will consider participating in ICAO’s Traveller Identification Programme (TRIP) Strategy, including its Public Key Directory (PKD). The TRIP is the cornerstone of ICAO’s response to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2309 on preventing the travel of foreign terrorist fighters. It is also a key element in ICAO’s upcoming Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP.) Greece will also enhance its support of gender equality and ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals initiative in order to address the human resource challenges that were identified.

25/09/2017

Aimed mainly at government Ministers and national planners, the recently published "Aviation Benefits" report contains a summarized checklist of the steps to be taken to maximize air transport’s socio-economic influence. It presents helpful overviews of the related investment and partnership priorities to be pursued, as well as comprehensive regional summaries showing how aviation is improving prosperity all over the world. Its release before World Tourism Day helps to underscore the symbiotic links between positive tourism impacts and the level of aviation connectivity established in a given city or territory. Click through to find out more, or download the report directly here: https://www.icao.int/sustainability/Pages/IHLG.aspx

What are the economic benefits of air transport?

Aviation is essential to the economic development of cities, countries and regions everywhere, but governments can only optimize its benefits by addressing the sector’s critical infrastructure and resource needs in their national development strategies.

That’s one of the key messages being conveyed jointly by ICAO and international aviation’s most prominent organizations in a special new report released in advance of World Tourism Day: Aviation Benefits.

You can download the report here: https://www.icao.int/sustainability/Pages/IHLG.aspx

Aimed mainly at government Ministers and national planners, Aviation Benefits contains a summarized checklist of the steps to be taken to maximize air transport’s socio-economic influence. It presents helpful overviews of the related investment and partnership priorities to be pursued, as well as comprehensive regional summaries showing how aviation is improving prosperity all over the world. Its release before World Tourism Day helps to underscore the symbiotic links between positive tourism impacts and the level of aviation connectivity established in a given city or territory.

“Well over a billion tourists are crossing international borders each year,” remarked ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu, “and over half of these are travelling by air to their destinations — in fact over 80% in many island States. Aircraft also transport some 35% of world trade by value, and the lowering costs and expanding routes across our network mean that the economic benefits from tourism and other aviation connectivity impacts will only increase in the years ahead. This trend is further reinforced by the dramatic forecasts we’re seeing for future air traffic growth.”

The report also provides a comprehensive outline of how international aviation connectivity directly aids governments’ ongoing efforts to achieve 15 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals adopted under Agenda 2030.

“ICAO works hard to foster effective partnerships between donors, investors and needful States, and to assist governments in developing solid business cases with clearly defined returns for their major air transport development projects,” Dr. Liu added. “We have mapped out how well-supported air services greatly aid governments in attaining 15 of the 17 UN SDGs, and this report helps to reinforce for Ministers and government planners everywhere the importance of integrating their aviation development needs into their broader national development strategies.”

The publication is an outcome of the joint work of the Industry High Level Group (IHLG), led by ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, Airports Council International (ACI) Director General, Angela Gittens, Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Director General, Jeff Poole, and International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA) Chairman, Jan Pie.

As the UN agency for aviation, ICAO directly supports these partnership and project planning priorities each year during its high-level ICAO World Aviation Forums, the next edition of which will be held late November in Abuja, Nigeria.

23/09/2017

LIVE - How do you manage registration, identification and tracking? Find out how with ICAO's conference streaming now at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP6KIVuJsjU