ICAO Today and Tomorrow —Safe Skies, Sustainable Future.

 

As the United Nations specialized agency forinternational civil aviation, ICAO has built upon 80 years of success in creating today’s international aviation law, policies and standards. The Chicago Convention, which formed ICAO, states the purpose of international aviation and its future developments is to “create and preserve friendship and understanding among the nations and peoples of the world.” In pursuit of this purpose, ICAO works with 193 Member States and several industry groups to reach consensus on international civil aviationStandards and Recommended Practices (SARPs)and policies. Over the past 80 years this work has led the international aviation sector to deliver dramatically improved services that connect nations and people as never before. Economic prosperity today draws enormous benefit from safe and secure movement of passengers and goods across the globe with greater ease and lower cost than at any previous time in human history. Aviation has helped create better economic andtrade connectivity, especially for land-locked and small island developing states, as well as more understanding and friendship amongst nations and people. Aviation’s crucial role is highlighted by historically strong growth in every region of the world due to popular demand which has resumed in 2024 after recovering to pre-pandemic levels in less than 3 years after public health restrictions for the COVID-19 pandemic began to ease. In order for this growth trend to continue successfully, ICAO has laid out an ambitious agenda to tackle the challenges outlined in this Strategic Plan. To achieve the bold goals set forth, such as the Long-Term Global Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in international civil aviation, the rate of change must increase exponentially in the coming decade. This acceleration is necessary to accommodate the continuously growing air transport demandsafely, securely, and economically while also making progress on other critical objectives. The ICAO 2026-2050 Strategic Plan reflects the organization’s long-term aspiration to achieve bold Strategic Goals for the orderly growth of international aviation, underpinned by flawless delivery of safety and security, and enhanced by new initiatives including fostering investment for aviation infrastructures especially where significant gaps are exhibited, including innovative new services that streamline the passenger’s facilitation and experience amid rising demand. It also delivers on the Long Term Global Aspirational Goal of net-zero carbon emissions for international aviation by 2050. These goals pave the way towards increased economic prosperity and social well-being delivered by air transportation of people and goods anywhere in the world. This Strategic Plan will be implemented through complementary triennial ICAO Business Plans and Operating Plans, informing resource decisions for the triennial ICAO Budget. These plans will outline specific activities, deliverables, and milestones, which will be measured by key performance indicators to ensure sustainable progress towards achieving the Strategic Goals. This Strategic Plan also serves as an overarching framework for the ICAO global and regional plans. To effectively address the industry’s key challenges, coherent and well-coordinated action is essential. Today, specialized areas of work independently contribute toward positive developments in the aviation system. ICAO organizes this work within five notionally interdependent strategies: safety, air navigation capacity and efficiency, security, environmental protection and economic development. This method can be further enhanced through the implementation of cross-cutting programme management approaches in order to successfully retain our enviable safety and security record and rapidly expand aviation services and achieve LTAG. The Triennial Business Plan will define specific near and mid-term actions, ensuring alignment with the Aspirational Goals outlined in this Strategic Plan. As appropriate, future versions of ICAO global plans will also reflect key milestones necessary to achieve the Strategic Goals outlined here. Resilient to the future challenges, ICAO will review and update the Strategic Plan every six years in alignment with the United Nations’ best practices of Results-Based Management and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, its Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), and future UN instruments on sustainable development. This process will analyze new challenges and opportunities, then incorporate them into the plan as necessary. This Strategic Plan reflects the commitment of all ICAO’s Member States and its bodies, including the Regional Offices, to work together for a more safe, secure, economically viable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable aviation sector for the benefit of all people, leaving no country behind.