Aviation and the Environment. Though its CO2 and NOx impact is less than those of other industries and transport sectors, aviation continues to take bold steps toward aggressive targets as its global stakeholders confront the technological and leadership challenges of climate change.

Planetary Priorities. ICAO and aviation stakeholders weigh-in on our best options for a sustainable air transport future.

Now Hiring. In a comprehensive effort to attract the best and brightest, ICAO teams up with industry and education stakeholders to form the Next Generation Aviation Professionals initiative, responding to projected, industry-wide shortages of over 200,000 pilots and 400,000 maintenance employees by 2018.

The level 4 Language Proficiency Deadline: Issues and Challenges. A review of some of the key presentations given at the recent symposium on ICAO's new Level 4 Language Proficiency requirements, discussing the challenges and solutions facing the industry in general and language educators and their students specifically.

Data Driven Safety. Through extensive coordination of the internal and external safety data sources available to it, ICAO begins to emphasize a more targeted, proactive and operational approach to global aviation's most fundamental objective.

A great success for CEANS. Delegates to the Conference on the Economics of Airports and Air Navigation Services craft an extraordinary compromise unifying airport, airline and ANSP stakeholders within a new and more inclusive global framework.

The issue of runway incursions has been identified as a serious threat to aviation safety that many States are working hard to resolve. Recent initiatives to enhance runway safety include the implementation of a European action plan formulated by a group of experts familiar with the day-to-day problems on the job (see page 9).

China has been refashioning its approach to safety to ensure a continued downward trend in the aircraft accident rate (see page 7). Among changes shaping Chinese civil aviation today is the fostering of a safety culture that emphasizes accountability.

The nature of the multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) that was introduced late last year, a programme that reflects the competency-based approach to training introduced by ICAO in 2006, is not clearly understood throughout the aviation community. The article beginning on page 15 presents some important facts about this innovative training initiative.

Global Aviation Leadership: An overview of several key areas of priority that ICAO has established as part of its 2005-2010 Strategic Objectives.

36th Assembly Review: A new plan for Africa and multiple resolutions designed to improve the safety, security, efficiency and sustainability of global aviation feature prominently in the results of the 36th ICAO Assembly. Also in this Issue: SMS—New Perspectives on Safety; ISD Profile; Climate Impact of Aviation; Smithsonian Birdstrike Overview; Printing Section Feature; ACI Feature on Noise and Local Air Quality; ACI Director General Message.

Economic liberalization and changes in airline business practices have implications for safety and security regulation which need to be addressed properly. A recent ICAO study on this subject examines the challenges facing today's regulators.