The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has high expectations for the 42nd Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The event will be held in Montreal, Canada from 23rd September to 3rd October.
In advance of the coming event, ICAO announced the acceptance of 14 working papers authored by IATA covering a wide range of topics for the Assembly’s consideration.
IATA director-general Willie Walsh said: “IATA will be participating in the ICAO Assembly with safety, sustainability and efficiency at the top of our priority list. It is critical that we secure stronger support for SAF production and CORSIA as key enablers of aviation’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Equally, we need agreement to follow the principles and provisions of the Chicago Convention to avoid patchworks of debilitating tax measures and passenger rights regulations. And we must shore-up safety with timely accident reports, mitigations for GNSS interference and preservation of critical radio-frequency spectrum.”
Working on necessary standards
Global standards, many of which are developed by governments through ICAO, are crucial for safe, efficient and increasingly sustainable aviation operations worldwide.
These standards are developed with the expertise and input of airline operators worldwide working with ICAO Member States at ICAO.
The ICAO Assembly is a once-every-three-year opportunity for states to align on ICAO’s work program as it addresses aviation’s most pressing issues.
Walsh explained that the criticality of global standards to global aviation cannot be underestimated.
He said: “I am optimistic for the outcomes of this Assembly. Everybody wants flying to be safe, efficient and more sustainable. So, we have a common agenda with governments. Indeed, many of our submissions to the Assembly are simply asking governments to more effectively implement what they have already agreed. The coming weeks in Montreal are essential to set the agenda, but even more important is the following three years of work to achieve what is agreed.
Nine points of discussion for 2025
- SAF Production: Targets for SAF use set by the ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative fuels (CAAF/3) should be reviewed by states to take into consideration the price-raising consequences of setting mandates without the anticipated increase in SAF production.
- CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation): CORSIA was agreed by states at the 39th ICAO Assembly (2016) to be the sole economic measure to address aviation’s global carbon emissions. CORSIA is expected to generate up to $17 billion in climate finance by 2035. However, states continue to create or augment aviation taxes and schemes (national and regional) that undercut CORSIA’s credibility, and which do little or nothing to further sustainability. Moreover, only Guyana has issued CORSIA Eligible Emissions Units (EEUs) which generate climate finance and enable airlines to fulfil their CORSIA obligations.
- Revisions to Aviation Corporate Tax: A revision to Article 8 of the UN’s Model Tax Treaty creates an option to base an airline’s corporate tax on where revenue is earned (source-based) in addition to the longstanding (and nearly universally applied) system of taxation in the jurisdiction of its principal place of business (residence-based). If selected, source-based corporate taxation would generate an enormous additional administrative burden with no additional tax revenue generation unless it results in double taxation. It would also require adjustment of nearly all bilateral air services agreements which follow residence-based taxation.
- Consumer Protection: In recent years several governments have been considering and implementing consumer protection regulations for air travelers. In many cases these have deviated from ICAO’s Core Principles on Consumer Protection which support alignment with global standards (Montreal Convention 1999, for example), respect proportionality and take into consideration exceptional circumstances of mass disruption. Arising from this we have a patchwork of regulations that conflict with each other and confuse travelers. Moreover, although disruptions have many sources, there is no shared accountability for traveler inconvenience and airlines bear the brunt of increasingly onerous regulations.
- Radio Frequency Spectrum: As the telecoms industry rolls out 5G and eventually 6G services, it is demanding greater allocations of radio frequency spectrum. Aviation require spectrum for many purposes including the critical 4.2-4.4GhZ band for radio altimeters. Some configurations for 5G rollouts (particularly in the US, Australia and Canada) have created unacceptable risks to aviation safety in the vicinity of airports which required mitigation measures (reconfiguration of 5G antenna as airlines retrofit with interference-proof avionics). Due to supply chain challenges and the time needed to develop and test global standards, retrofit timelines are not going to be met.
- Accident Investigations: ICAO Annex 13 requires that states file a final accident report within a year of the accident’s occurrence. When this is not possible, updates must be published. Unfortunately, only 57% of accidents between 2018 and 2023 have a publicly available final accident report. This deprives aviation of a vital source of safety information.
- GNSS Interference: Airlines rely on GNSS-based services for safe navigation. GNSS jamming and spoofing incidents are rising in areas near conflict zones. While redundancies exist to preserve safety of flights, this is an unacceptable risk which must be mitigated.
- Aircraft Mandates: ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) set the global framework for aviation safety. Aircraft mandates are the practical requirements such as installing new systems that flow from these SARPs once adopted by regulators. The current Adopted–Effective–Applicable cycle is lengthy and vulnerable to certification delays, supply‑chain constraints, and global disruptions. These challenges lead to exemptions and national differences, undermining harmonization and delaying safety benefits.
- Pilot Age Limits (multi‑pilot international flights): Under ICAO Annex 1 (pilot licensing rules), airline pilots on multi‑pilot international operations must retire at 65. IATA supports lifting the multi‑pilot limit to 67, retaining the existing cockpit safeguard of at least one pilot under 65 and pairing the change with stronger, standardized medical oversight. This reflects longer, healthier careers while keeping safety safeguards in place.
