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.
“The criticality of global standards to global aviation cannot be underestimated. 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,” said Walsh.
Most topical among the papers IATA has submitted are:
- 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Support IATA’s efforts to create a functioning SAF market.
b. Step up economic incentives for fuel producers for SAF production.
c. Make timely policy interventions to address anomalies.
- 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Reaffirm their commitment to making CORSIA a success as the only economic measure to manage aviation’s climate impact.
b. Make available sufficient CORSIA EEUs for airlines to be able 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Ignore Article 8 revisions and continue with residency-based taxation for airlines.
- 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Reaffirm their commitment to ICAO’s Core Principles and align regulations accordingly.
b. Develop supplementary guidance to globally align on definitions of extraordinary circumstances, smooth discrepancies among jurisdictions, share accountability among stakeholders and consider the specific challenges of mass disruptions.
- 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Protect safety critical frequencies used by aviation from interference.
b. Strengthen coordination among telecoms and aviation regulators to ensure safety of flight, follow best practices of successful implementations, and agree realistic timelines for any retrofits.
- 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Complete accident reports in line with Annex 13 requirements and in a timely manner.
b. Support capacity building for states with insufficient accident investigation resources.
- 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Ensure better coordination between military and civil aviation authorities to provide airlines with timely risk information.
b. Support a multi-faceted approach to mitigating risks including better reporting/detection, measures to protect critical aviation frequencies, the development of interference-proof avionics and a cyber-hardening strategy, contingency planning and training (pilots and air traffic controllers).
- 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Acknowledge that airlines hold the final compliance responsibility and are therefore the most exposed to variability in the implementation chain.
b. Create a mechanism to set realistic applicability dates for aircraft mandates, with active monitoring and flexibility to adjust timelines if global disruptions occur.
- 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.
IATA asks states to:
a. Approve the increase to 67 for multi pilot international operations, with the “one under 65” rule maintained, existing medical frequency preserved (e.g., six monthly over 60), and no change to the single pilot limit.
b. Set up a standardized medical risk assessment and oversight system, using a common, privacy respecting dataset (e.g., medical certificate actions, reasons for retirement/non renewal, in flight incapacitation events) to monitor age related risks consistently across States.
c. Issue joint guidance (medical, licensing, and operations) so implementation is uniform, auditable, and aligned with safety management best practice.
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