The work of the Air Transport Bureau essentially involves the following programmes:

The Aviation Security and Facilitation Policy (SFP) Section of the ICAO Air Transport Bureau is responsible for the management of three closely inter-related programmes: Aviation Security, Facilitation and Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTD). A primary activity is the development of new and amended Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for the security and facilitation of international air transport. These are promulgated in technical annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, specifically Annex 17 — Security, and Annex 9 — Facilitation. The Section also has a mandate to ensure the development of technical specifications for machine readable passports, visas and official travel documents.

Among other things, the SFP Section manages its programmes by:

• developing and updating Annex 17 and Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation;
• managing and overseeing the work programme of the Aviation Security (AVSEC) Panel and the Facilitation (FAL) Panel, as well as their respective working groups;
• updating and maintaining the ICAO Security Manual for Safeguarding Civil Aviation Against Acts of Unlawful Interference (Doc 8973) and Doc 9303, Machine Readable Travel Documents;
• maintaining the Technical Annex to the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection (MEX);
• providing support to the International Explosives Technical Commission (IETC) and the Ad Hoc Group of Specialists on the Detection of Explosives (AH-DE);
• managing and overseeing the work programme of the Technical Advisory Group on Machine Readable Travel Documents (TAG/MRTD) and its working groups;
• promoting implementation of security- and facilitation-related SARPs, and providing assistance to member States with development of their MRP programmes; and
• providing support to various governing entities at ICAO, in particular the Assembly, Council, Air Transport Committee (ATC) and Committee on Unlawful Interference (UIC).

The Section, together with the Office of the Director of Air Transport Bureau, is also responsible for fostering cooperation on security and facilitation matters with other United Nations agencies and international bodies. Among the many entities with which SFP Section coordinates its work are the UN Counter Terrorism Committee (UN CTC), World Health Organization (WHO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI).

The Economic Analyses and Databases (EAD) Section is responsible for functions related to Strategic Objectives A (Safety), C (Environment) and D (Efficiency), articulated around three areas of expertise, namely statistics, economic analyses and forecasts.

The Statistics Programme: This programme, initiated in 1947, collects, processes, analyzes and disseminates civil aviation statistics as required by States and the Organization for an efficient, safe and secure development of civil aviation. This web-enabled database covers historical time-series on air carrier traffic, on-flight origin and destination (OFOD), traffic by flight stage (TFS), air carrier fleet and personnel, air carrier finances, airport traffic, airport finances, en-route facility traffic, en-route facility finances and civil aircraft on register. These data can be purchased by third parties on a request basis by contacting sta@icao.int. This programme also provides the traffic exposure data necessary to derive trend level indicators related to Safety, Efficiency or Environmental Protection required to manage the sustainable development of the civil aviation activities.

Economic Analyses: EAD has been conducting studies on regional differences in international airlines operating economics to assist States in the assessment of the impact of regulatory change, support environmental planning, assess the effectiveness of measures for the implementation of the Strategic Objectives and support proration of passenger revenues from interline journeys. In addition to the safety analysis achieved through cross-linkages with ECCAIRS accident database and the USOAP safety audit database, EAD also produces specific economic studies, as required. The EAD Section is conducting research and providing guidance to States as required on cost/benefit analysis and business cases for planning and implementation of air navigation systems and related systems (including CNS/ATM).

Forecasting Activities: The basic role of this programme is to develop medium- and long-term passenger/freight traffic flows and aircraft movement forecasts and other planning parameters enabling the PIRGs and States to optimize decision-making as envisaged in the Global Air Navigation Plan. Servicing or support is also provided to the regional traffic forecasting groups (TFGs). EAD is also providing support to the work of CAEP, through its active participation to the activities of the Forecasting and Economic Analysis Support Group (FESG).

In addition, EAD prepares manuals and other guidance material to assist States in their aviation statistics, forecasting and economic planning activities and conducts aviation forecasting, economic planning and statistics workshop meetings.

The Section (EPM) has merged the functions of the former Economic Policy Section (ECP) and Air Route and Facility Management Section (ARFM), whereby it is responsible for the development and provision of policy guidance on the economic regulation of international air transport services, and on the economics and management of airport and air navigation services; the development of ICAO policies on user charges and taxation of international air transport; promotion and implementation of relevant ICAO policies and guidance material; and for monitoring regulatory and industry developments and trends, conducting studies and research on related issues; maintaining databases; and facilitating and assisting States in the liberalization process.

More specifically, in the economic policy area, the Section deals with major regulatory and economic policy issues such as trade in services, liberalization and its impact on safety and security regulation, exchange of commercial rights, air carrier ownership and control, alliances, competition and consumer protection; and in the aviation infrastructure area, it deals with the economic, financial, organizational and managerial aspects of the provision and operation of airports and air navigation services, including issues relating to commercialization and privatization of such entities, cost basis for charges, charging systems, relationship between service providers and users, and charges related to environmental protection. The Section collects, analyzes and disseminates information on air transport regulatory and airline industry developments and on the financial situation of airports and air navigation services. It also conducts workshops or other informal meetings to assist States, and provides technical support to other bodies inside and outside ICAO on matters of its expertise areas.

The Environmental programme is a multidisciplinary subject involving both the Air Navigation Bureau and the Air Transport Bureau (ATB). Most environmental work is undertaken in support of the Council's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), which has a heavy work programme in both the noise and emissions fields. CAEP has requested ATB's help in four main areas. Firstly, CAEP requires the continuous development of databases and comprehensive traffic, fleet and other forecasts that are of relevance in environmental policy-making. Secondly, ATB helps CAEP with economic analysis of the environmental benefits and the various costs associated with possible solutions to aviation's environmental problems. Thirdly, ATB is participating in CAEP's work on possible market-based options to control aircraft engine emissions, such as voluntary agreements, emissions trading and levies (charges or taxes). Fourthly, ATB is also responsible for liaison with other environmental policy-making bodies in the UN system, for example regarding implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Joint Financing Programme administers multinational arrangements enabling States to share in the cost of implementing and operating air navigation facilities and services for international civil aviation. It also provides advice, information and technical support within and outside ICAO on issues related to the Joint Financing of air navigation facilities.

A special Committee of the Council, the Committee on Joint Support of Air Navigation Services, considers matters related to the provision of financial or technical services for the improvement of air navigation facilities under the terms of Chapter XV of the Convention on International Civil Aviation referred to it by the Council.

Following an initiative of a number of States, the International Financial Facility for Aviation Safety (IFFAS) was established and became operational in 2003. The objective of IFFAS is to finance safety‑related projects to correct deficiencies primarily identified through the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), for which States cannot otherwise provide or obtain necessary financial resources. The Facility depends on voluntary contributions by Contracting States and other parties that have an interest in raising the level of aviation safety. IFFAS has been constituted through an administrative charter. The main constituents of IFFAS are the Secretariat and the Governing Body, which is assisted by an Expert Panel for prioritization and selection of projects.

As part of the Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD) initiative, ICAO received a request for the establishment of an ICAO Public Key Directory, ICAO PKD, to promote the global interoperability of the validation system for electronic travel documents. The ICAO PKD has been testing procedures since March 2007 and it began operations in January 2009. Participating States and entities will upload to and download their passport certifying credentials from a central ICAO PKD.