International Civil Aviation Day: ‘75 Years of Connecting the World’

Diplomats from 54 world powers risked war-torn skies to meet in Chicago in 1944 (above), where they drafted the visionary Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) which established ICAO. The 2019 ICAO 75th Anniversary theme of ‘75 Years of Connecting the World’ was selected to help draw attention to the fact that safe, secure and rapid connectivity is the core capability of aviation’s worldwide network, and the key value offering from which all other international aviation benefits derive – whether commercial, cultural or personal

Each year 7 December is recognised globally as International Civil Aviation Day (ICAD). 

This year is however particularly special, as the International Civil Aviation Organization is commemorating the 75th anniversary of its creation by the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation. 

As of this writing, numerous ICAO Member States have committed resources toward various activities aimed at raising public and sectoral awareness of this important moment in the history of air transport. These have included developing airport and CAA ICAO75 historic exhibits; hoisting the ICAO 75th anniversary flag in uniquely prominent geographic locations; arranging aerial demonstrations; and promoting the ICAO75 video at prominent airports. Befitting this commemoration of aviation’s uniquely cooperative history and its incredible contributions to world peace and prosperity, ICAO’s Council President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, and the Organization’s Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, have issued the following joint statement to commemorate this historic date.

The theme for International Civil Aviation Day in 2019 is ‘75 Years of Connecting the World’. This theme celebrates ICAO’s 75th Anniversary this year, and it was selected to help draw attention to the fact that safe, secure and rapid connectivity is the core capability of aviation’s worldwide network, and the key value offering from which all other international aviation benefits derive – whether commercial, cultural or personal.

ICAO chose to focus the air transport sector’s attention during this historic anniversary much more directly on the future of flight than on its past. This prioritisation acknowledged the rapidly expanding capacity of the incredible new aircraft now being conceptualised, designed, and produced to fulfil exciting new services and roles for civil societies. “We were extremely grateful to witness how so many ICAO Member States worked to produce tributes and events celebrating aviation in the context of our 75th Anniversary this year, including ICAO’s role in uniting our global community.

“Of the thousands of visiting experts and officials who joined us in Montreal at our Headquarters this year, and most notably for our 40th Assembly, many were able to share in the privilege of witnessing some wide-ranging new aviation capabilities at the ICAO Innovation Fair and World Aviation Forum events which were hosted during the Assembly period.”

At this year’s World Aviation Forum in particular, government and industry officials explored not only these new potentials in depth, but also how innovation should now be a guiding priority for civil aviation regulators as well. 

The Fifth World Aviation Forum also provided a platform where ICAO was able to announce the global winners of the youth innovation competitions. It was tremendously encouraging to see how engaged young people are today in the exciting future now being realised in powered flight, and to share in the excitement they felt at being acknowledged by the global aviation community through ICAO. Innovation will be key to how aviation addresses some of its most pressing priorities, today and tomorrow. These challenges include how to keep pace with traffic growth and manage more and more aircraft in a finite operational airspace, as well as how to accommodate steady traffic growth while continuously limiting and ultimately decreasing sectoral emissions. “But as we grow more excited and enthusiastic together with each new aircraft and operational capability which moves from the drawing board to our skies, let us not forget as well that aviation safety, security, and efficiency remain our most fundamental value offerings in international civil aviation, providing a core foundation which connects the world.

“It is therefore of paramount importance that we realise together an effective and balanced approach to new aviation innovations, accelerating regulatory processes while safeguarding traditional needs relating to regulatory and policy enforcement, consumer protection, and fair and sustainable economic and social development.” It will be by leveraging its historic levels of consensus and cooperation, which have been the hallmark of the accomplishments realised through ICAO over the past 75 years, that the aviation community will realise an even brighter and more sustainable new future for air transport in the exciting years to come.