ICAO’s 80th anniversary celebrated

The 80th anniversary of the founding of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has been commemorated in New Delhi, coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation, WAM reports. 

To mark the occasion, the ICAO’s President Salvatore Sciacchitano announced the setting up of a Pacific Small Island Developing States Liaison Office “aimed at supporting smaller nations in addressing aviation challenges.”

He said the Asia Pacific region now accounts for 32 percent of global air traffic and holds immense growth potential. It has surpassed pre-COVID-19 pandemic traffic levels by early 2024, he said.

Sciacchitano said the ICAO has set the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and that countries in Asia are leading the way with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) initiatives.

India’s Minister for Civil Aviation Kinara Rammohan Naidu said that 80,000 saplings will be planted across India to commemorate the ICAO’s 80th founding anniversary and to acknowledge its commitment to fight climate change.

A Delhi Declaration adopted by the Ministerial Conference symbolises the global aviation community’s “commitment to safety, sustainability, and innovation in the aviation sector,” the ICAO President said.

The ICAO is a United Nations agency and has 193 member countries committed to “sharing their skies to mutual benefit.”

Its Asia and Pacific Office is located in Bangkok and is accredited to 39 contracting states. It has a sub-regional office in Beijing. The new Pacific Small Island Developing States Liaison Office announced by Sciacchitano will be the third ICAO office in the Asia-Pacific region.