Chicago, 5 December 2024 – As part of the Extraordinary Session of the Council commemorating the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Chicago Convention, the global aviation industry today presented a joint declaration to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), emphasizing its commitment to the safe, secure, and sustainable advancement of international aviation. Endorsed by major industry associations, the declaration signifies a unified pledge to support ICAO’s mission and ensure that aviation remains a key component of a thriving, connected, inclusive, and affordable global transportation system for both people and goods.
Eight decades ago, a group of visionaries from 52 nations came together with the ambition of creating a globally harmonized aviation system for the benefit of all. On 7 December 1944, they signed what is now known as the Chicago Convention. Their work laid the foundational framework for international civil aviation, fostering cooperation among States to promote global connectivity and enabling a transformation in air transport.
In his statement on behalf of ICCAIA, Eric Fanning, President & CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and current Chair of the ICCAIA Board of Directors, stated: “We are now in another period of intense change and innovation. For the past 52 years, ICCAIA has promoted progress in the global aerospace manufacturing industry and international civil aviation. As an industry, we must continue our proud tradition of innovation and growth through globally recognized standards for safe, secure, and efficient air transport and harmonized civil aviation policies. […]
In line with ICAO’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we are working on new fuels and energies to reduce our environmental impact. Once again, we turn to the Chicago Convention to enable these changes – and those to come. […]
We are honored to celebrate ICAO’s 80 years of global influence, excellence and sustainability. You can count on us to continue supporting ICAO for the next 80 years and beyond.”
Titled ‘Eighty years of collaboration, progress, and innovation in global aviation’, the industry’s joint declaration underscores that air transport now connects 5 billion passengers, facilitates 33% of global trade by value, and supports 58% of world tourism and that this is made possible through 67,300 routes, 4,072 airports, and a fleet of 29,000 aircraft. The declaration also stresses the industry’s conviction that the Chicago Convention and its fundamental aims and principles remain as relevant today as they were eighty years ago.
Signatories of the joint declaration
- Airports Council International (ACI)
- Airport Services Association (ASA)
- Air Transport Action Group (ATAG)
- Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO)
- International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- International Business Aviation Council (IBAC)
- International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA)
- International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA)
- International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA)
- International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)
- The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA)
Contact for media inquiries:
Alexandra Paré, Director of Membership, Marketing, and Communications
_________
About ICCAIA
About ICAO