The Air Transport Bureau (click to view the Structure) supports the implementation of the Strategic Objectives of ICAO in particular objectives B - Security, C - Environmental Protection, D - Efficiency and E - Continuity. This Bureau also contributes towards Strategic Objective A - Safety.

The Bureau works under the direction of the Council, Air Transport Committee, the Committee on Unlawful Interference and the Committee on Joint Support of Air Navigation Services. In particular, ATB fulfills the following functions :

• provides expert assistance required by the Assembly, Council, Air Transport Committee (ATC), Committee on Joint Support of Air Navigation Services (JSC) and the Committee on Unlawful Interference (UIC); and
   
• provides Secretariat support to the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP).
   
• develops and maintains amendments to annexes of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention), namely: Annex 9 (Facilitation), Annex 16 (Environmental Protection) as well as Annex 17 (Security). Annex 16 is managed in coordination with the Air Navigation Bureau (ANB).

In addition to supporting the Strategic Objectives above, ATB administers the: 

• the Joint Financing Agreements with Denmark and Iceland for the provision certain North Atlantic air navigation services (DEN/ICE),
   
• the Arrangement on the Joint Financing of the North Atlantic Height Monitoring System (HMS), and
   
• the Agreement on the Sharing of Costs of the Satellite Distribution System for information relating to Air Navigation (SADIS);
   
• the International Financial Facility for Aviation Safety (IFFAS) which is a mechanism to provide financial support toward achieving the objectives of improving aviation safety through the implementation of the necessary measures mainly identified by the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme(USOAP);
   
• The ICAO Public Key Directory is the main global distribution point for public signing key certificates from all issuers of ePassports.

Furthermore, ATB provides support to the ICAO regional offices on air transport matters.

Within this framework, the work of the Air Transport Bureau for the 2008-2010 triennium reflects a significant repositioning, consistent with the Business Plan of the Organization, in response to increasing demand for regulation and monitoring of aviation security worldwide, facilitation of air transport, border security, recognition of and response to environmental concerns, globalization and transnationalization of markets, the emergence of regional and sub-regional trading and regulatory blocs, liberalization of economic regulation, the commercialization of airports and air navigation services providers and application of "user pay" and "polluter pay" principles.

Please visit this link for a brief synopsis of the Air Transport Bureau programmes.