Montréal, 30 March 2017 – ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu stressed the need for continued progress on the sustainability of international aviation this past Saturday, as she accepted the 2017 Air Transport News (ATN) Leader of the Year Award during a special ceremony in Ekali, Greece.
“I am deeply honoured to be named ATN’s Leader of the Year, an accolade which I proudly accept in recognition of the great leadership role that the International Civil Aviation Organization has continued to uphold,” Dr. Liu declared. “I also accept it on behalf of the many officials of the Member States and international and regional organizations with whom I have the great privilege to collaborate as ICAO Secretary General, and also the many industry leaders and experts who play such an important part in our work.”
“This is an important moment in the history of our sector, with many challenges now confronting ICAO and the entire air transport community,” the Secretary General continued. “It is critical, therefore, that as we confront the prospects of dramatic air transport growth, our global community also continues on pace to refine aviation’s objectives for safety, security, efficiency, economic development and environmental performance.”
Since 2012, ATN has presented annual awards in 11 air transport sector categories. Its Leader of the Year Award has previously been awarded to airport and airline CEOs and to ICAO’s previous Secretary General.
During her mission to Greece, Dr. Liu conducted bilateral meetings with the country’s Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. George Katrougalos, and the Governor of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Konstantinos Lintzerakos. Topics discussed included priorities of common interest in the fields of safety, security, environment protection, capacity building and training, and the socio-economic benefits which can follow when States ensure compliance with ICAO’s global norms.
The Greek officials expressed interest in becoming new members of ICAO’s Public Key Directory, a crucial tool in the UN agency’s global travel document security framework. They also recognized the value in enhancing their State’s implementation of the latest Performance-based Navigation (PBN) procedures, which realize fuel efficiency, capacity enhancement, and emissions reduction benefits.
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A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 191 Member States.
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