Asia Pacific leaders chart safe and sustainable path for regional aviation boom

As the Asia Pacific region prepares for unprecedented aviation growth, regional leaders gathered in Cebu, Philippines to ensure this expansion happens safely and sustainably. The 59th Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation of the Asia Pacific Region, attended by 361 aviation leaders, focused on charting the region’s aviation growth out to 2050.

"Let me remind you that for some States, aviation and tourism contribute up to 40% of the national Gross Domestic Product. Furthermore, many island States and landlocked States depend heavily on air transport to connect to the wider world," ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano told delegates in his opening address.

"Our aim is to create an inclusive global aviation system that drives sustained economic growth for all Member States, regardless of their current level of aviation development," ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar told delegates.

The recent establishment of an ICAO liaison office in Fiji, supported by several partner countries, will help small island developing States implement international standards and fully leverage aviation as a catalyst for sustainable development.

Environmental action at the forefront

The conference supported global efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in international aviation by 2050. This ambitious target requires fundamental changes in how aircraft operate and what powers them. Twenty-four Asia Pacific States, representing 83% of the region's international flights, are already tracking their carbon emissions through CORSIA, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.

A key focus was scaling up the supply and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) as a crucial element in the decarbonization strategy. The conference endorsed ICAO's Global Framework for SAF, Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels, and other cleaner aviation energies, including the Finvest Hub. The Hub is intended to have multiple important functions: creating a platform to match aviation decarbonization projects with potential investors, exploring innovative funding mechanisms, collaborating with development banks, and maintaining a database of funding sources.

"Net zero emissions will be the most challenging of the six goals in ICAO’s long-term strategic plan. It will require a fundamental transformation across technology, operations, partnerships, and financing. This transformation must extend beyond the aviation sector, encompassing the energy and finance industries and impacting numerous other sectors," Secretary General Salazar emphasized.

Safety and efficiency challenges

The conference responded to critical safety and efficiency challenges that are becoming increasingly urgent as air traffic grows in the region.

Current regional safety oversight scores fall below global averages, prompting renewed commitments to improvement.

Capacity issues were also discussed, with Council President Sciacchitano highlighting that "better collaboration between civil and military operations is essential for optimal use of airspace and for a more efficient air traffic management system.”

Several critical technological challenges were on the agenda. While the region has completed less than half of the second phase of its planned digital aeronautical information systems upgrades, leaders committed to speeding up this essential work which is crucial for managing more flights safely and creating efficient routes that use less fuel and reduce emissions.

Delegates also urged governments to take appropriate actions to detect, mitigate, and report Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Frequency Interference, which threatens navigation safety, and share best mitigation practices.

Additionally, the conference looked at ensuring the seamless integration of drone operations into existing airspace and explored frameworks for incorporating Artificial Intelligence in aviation while maintaining safety standards.

Shaping an inclusive future

Building an inclusive aviation workforce isn't just about equality – it's about securing our industry's future competitiveness and innovation,' Secretary General Salazar noted. Leaders acknowledged gender equality in the air transport system as crucial for the sector to maintain a sustainable professional workforce, and achieving sustainable growth requires harnessing all available talent. The Conference noted that some States in the Asia and Pacific Region have taken exemplary steps in gender equality by adopting policies and issuing circulars to promote the representation of women and girls in aviation sector. Despite progress, women remain significantly underrepresented across the aviation sector, particularly in technical and leadership roles. In espousal of the Conference theme topic: “Shaping the Future of Aviation: Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive”, the Conference urged States/Administrations, international organizations and industry to continue efforts to improve gender equality, synchronize efforts to achieve the Strategic Objectives, goals, programmes, and initiatives of ICAO to advance international civil aviation in a sustainable manner.

Looking beyond

Several crucial bilateral and multilateral meetings took place in parallel to the event. A donor dialogue brought together 14 partners and 28 delegates to coordinate implementation support activities. ICAO also held productive meetings with Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) and conducted discussions on regulatory capacity development to identify cooperation priorities for the APAC region.

Japan will host the 2025 conference in Sendai, focusing on how aviation can increase economic prosperity while ensuring environmental sustainability.