ICAO Assembly sets foundation for universal access to air transport

ICAO is issuing a series of news releases to announce the broad range of outcomes from the Assembly. These are all available at icao.int/newsroom.

ICAO Assembly sets foundation for universal access to air transport
Landmark decisions support access to aviation for the benefit of all nations and people.

Montréal, 3 October 2025 – The ICAO Assembly has created the foundations for ensuring universal access to air transport by 2050, in line with the ambitions of ICAO’s long-term Strategic Plan. This is the result of a series of decisions towards ensuring every nation has the physical and regulatory capacity to develop air connectivity. 

Building on commitments to ensure the environmental sustainability of the forecasted growth in air traffic, the Assembly boosted ICAO’s No Country Left Behind strategic goal by delivering 25 new aviation capacity development agreements for specific regional and country needs. 

This support for increased infrastructure capacity will additionally be supported by the Assembly’s expansion of the TRAINAIR PLUS program. Increased access to standardized training worldwide will mean ICAO can ensure that States are able to develop sufficient human resources to operate and develop their air transport sectors. Similarly, ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) and Gender Equality programmes received strengthened mandates to support aviation professionals of all ages and career stages. This will provide both a sufficient pool of qualified candidates for recruitment and equal access to the highly rewarding careers offered by air transport.

The Assembly’s decisions also ensured that new and existing air services alike will progress towards accessibility for and by all. 

Aligning with the Doha Declaration, States endorsed a comprehensive facilitation strategy prioritizing resource allocation and political momentum. The global rollout of ICAO Digital Travel Credentials and biometric solutions, secured through an enhanced Public Key Directory framework, will make seamless travel a reality. New harmonized measures for crew treatment, unruly passenger management, and humanitarian response procedures were matched with strengthened accessibility standards for persons with disabilities and service animal transport. 

Importantly, the Assembly also addressed human rights and dignity in international aviation, with reinforced protections for accident victims and expanded cooperation against human trafficking.

The economic viability of air transport and the optimization of its contributions to broader prosperity was also a key focus for Assembly delegates. To support this objective, the Assembly made significant decisions. These included:

•    Encouraging air transport liberalization through the Template Air Services Agreement (TASA), in support of preparations for negotiations the Seventh Worldwide Air Transport Conference to be held in 2026 and flexibility for varying levels of readiness. 
•    The modernization of airport slot practices to ensure policies remain equitable and responsive to public interest, while considering local infrastructure realities. 
•    Affirmation of the ICAO principles preventing double taxation, in support of an economic framework that benefit all stakeholders, 
•    and the initiation of a review of ICAO's Core Principles on Consumer Protection, ensuring consistency while respecting national approaches.

The Assembly also strengthened the legal foundations of international air transport to support and safeguard these developments. Expressing its support for the achievements of the Legal Committee's working groups and taskforces, the Assembly passed a new resolution commemorating the Chicago Convention's 80th anniversary to encourage stakeholder collaboration in developing international air law. 

The Assembly also emphasized the urgency of securing the outstanding ratifications to enact key aviation treaties, following significant progress at the Assembly’s “Third ICAO Treaty Event.”

Through these decisions, the Assembly has provided the incoming ICAO Council with a clear and strong mandate to drive implementation of the ICAO Strategic Plan for 2050 worldwide, ensuring that the Organization's vision of universal access becomes a reality through coordinated progress on infrastructure, accessibility, economic frameworks, and legal foundations.

Resources for Editors
42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly
ICAO Strategic Plan 2026 - 2050

About ICAO
Leading international civil aviation as a crucial driver of social and economic development, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is accelerating progress towards zero fatalities and net-zero carbon emissions in air transport for everyone, everywhere, in line with its Long-Term Strategic Plan for 2050. ICAO works with its 193 Member States and all air transport stakeholders to develop standards and policies for international civil aviation, and undertakes planning and capacity building activities to support their implementation by Member States.  

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William Raillant-Clark
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