FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

International aviation has a long history of helping to create and preserve friendship and understanding among the nations and peoples of the world. 

Celebrated annually on 7 December, International Civil Aviation Day highlights the economic and social contribution of air transport to our global society.

The theme of this year’s event is “Safe, secure and sustainable aviation for our planet”.  

With 2.3 billion passengers a year on more than 26 million flights worldwide, air transport is by far the safest mode of mass transportation ever created. 

In the spirit of continuous improvement aimed at enhancing safety even further, our work never ends. Today, attention is focused on the greater sharing of information among governments and industry to identify and resolve potential safety issues before they become accidents.

The profile of aviation demands that the most comprehensive and effective security systems are developed and employed.  Terrorism is a global problem that requires global solutions implemented in a harmonized manner around the world. ICAO assures that the systems constantly evolve as the threats change.

States and industry are committed to working together in tightening security measures while simplifying procedures to reduce the burden on both passengers and airlines.  Every effort is made to prevent illegal acts against aviation, passengers and cargo, and the full force of the legal system is brought to bear on those involved.

Aviation represents a minor source of greenhouse gas emissions, yet has demonstrated its global leadership by adopting the first shared global commitment to increase fuel efficiency and stabilize global CO₂ emissions in the medium-term at a sectoral level.

Looking forward, aviation aims at a 2 per cent annual fuel efficiency improvement up to the year 2050, a CO₂ standard for aircraft by 2013, market-based measures for limiting emissions, and support for States in implementing their action plans to contribute to the global effort. Combined with other technical, operational and political commitments, aviation is well on its way to building a carbon neutral future.

Uniting aviation has been the mission of ICAO since its creation in 1944. Given the complexity and scope of the challenges, governments and industry must leverage the same high degree of collaboration and effort that has been the hallmark of ICAO throughout its history. Only by working together can the collective goal of “Safe, secure and sustainable aviation for our planet” be maintained.

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The Seminar is targeted at the senior management of governmental aviation organizations, airport authorities, airlines, other relevant aviation industry organizations, and international aviation organizations. The Seminar will be conducted at SAA, and facilitated by aviation security instructors from ICAO and Singapore. The Seminar is scheduled to have its inaugural run in the third quarter of 2011.

Mr. Benjamin, who is in Singapore under the CAAS Distinguished Visitors Programme (DVP), emphasised the need for such high-level Seminars to enhance global understanding and cooperation in protecting civil aviation from security threats. “Civil aviation threats such as terrorism are global problems that require global solutions. Security measures must therefore be uniform and consistently enforced in all countries to be effective. This can only be achieved with the full cooperation of States, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including industry partners”.

“Singapore is honoured to partner ICAO in establishing the Aviation Security Leadership and Management Seminar. This Seminar is timely in the light of the evolving security threats and the developments in aviation security globally. It will significantly contribute to States enhancing their aviation security preparedness and capabilities”, said Mr. Yap.

ICAO and Recent Developments in Civil Aviation Security

At the recent 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly held in Montréal in September/October 2010, Member States endorsed a Declaration on Aviation Security and adopted a proactive Comprehensive Aviation Security Strategy. More recently, the Council of ICAO adopted the 12th amendment of Annex 17 (Security) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, improvements specifically aimed at strengthening air cargo security measures. In September, a diplomatic conference held in Beijing, under the auspices of ICAO, adopted two treaties to further criminalise acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation.

In 2000, SAA was conferred the prestigious Edward Warner Award by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for its eminent contribution as a centre of excellence in international civil aviation training. To date, SAA has trained more than 52,000 participants from 190 countries. SAA has currently four specialised schools – School of Aviation Management, School of Civil Aviation Safety and Security, School of Air Traffic Services and School of Airport Emergency Services.

Website : http://www.saa.com.sg

For more information, please contact:
Mr. Denis Chagnon
Communications Officer – ICAO
Office : 1.514.954.8220
Mobile : 1.514.212.1323
Email : dchagnon@icao.int

Ms. Nadine Kang
Senior Executive (Corporate Communications)
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
DID : (65) 6541 2085
Mobile : (65) 9617 7699
Email : nadine_kang@caas.gov.sg

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A comprehensive Resolution on aviation and climate change adopted on 8 October by the 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly makes international aviation the first sector with a shared global commitment to environmental goals of increasing fuel efficiency and stabilizing its global CO₂ emissions in the medium term.  Included are: a global aspirational goal of 2 per cent annual fuel efficiency improvement up to 2050; development of a CO2 standard for aircraft by 2013; a framework for market-based measures; and concrete steps to assist States to contribute to the global efforts.

Full text of the Assembly Resolution is available on the ICAO website:

http://www.icao.int/env/A37_Res19_en.pdf.

A review of ICAO’s environmental programme is highlighted in a short video on the home page of ICAO’s website: www.icao.int.

For additional information on ICAO’s environmental policies and programmes, or to arrange for interviews in Cancun, please contact:

Denis Chagnon
Revenue, Coordination and Communications Office
E-mail: dchagnon@icao.int
Tel: + 1 (514) 954- 8220 (office)   
Tel: + 1 (514) 212- 1323 (mobile) 

Sue-Ann Rapattoni
Revenue, Coordination and Communications Office
E-mail: srapattoni@icao.int
Tel: + 1 (514) 954- 8221 (office)
Tel: + 1 (514) 212- 1051 (mobile)

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PIO 17/10

MONTREAL, 24 November 2010 ─ The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), acting in accordance with its Rules of Procedure, has unanimously appointed by secret ballot Mr. Mervyn Gerard Fernando, of Singapore, to a further one-year term as President of the Organization’s Air Navigation Commission (ANC), beginning 1 January 2011.

Mr. Fernando was initially appointed President of the ANC in 2010. He has been a member of the Commission since 2006 and of the permanent mission of Singapore to ICAO since 2004, in the capacity of technical expert.

Mr. Fernando is an air traffic management expert with 30 years of operational air traffic control and airspace management experience.

Prior to his posting to the Singapore mission to ICAO, he served as the Chief of Singapore Changi Airport Control Tower where he was notably responsible for the provision of air traffic control services in the handling of about a quarter million international aircraft movements annually.

As an air traffic control manager from 1995 to 2002, Mr. Fernando was in charge of various aspects of airspace planning and management, search and rescue (SAR) services, civil/military coordination and airspace coordination with neighboring States. 

During his career, he was actively involved as a key member in various ICAO projects, to revamp airway structures for greater airspace safety, efficiency and capacity over the Bay of Bengal and South China Sea, and to develop contingency routes from Asia to Europe through Middle East airspace, arising from the conflicts in the Middle East.

Overall, Mr. Fernando has contributed extensively to the efforts of ICAO and other international fora to improve safety and efficiency in the air navigation field.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MONTREAL, 17 November 2010 ─ The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted more stringent air cargo security standards, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the overall security of air transport operations worldwide.

The new measures emphasize more extensive screening of cargo, mail and other goods prior to placing them on board aircraft and better protection from unauthorized interference from the point where security controls are applied until departure of the aircraft.

Also included is the strengthening of provisions related to the deployment of security equipment, the security of air traffic service providers, training programmes and instructor certification systems, and cyber threats.

The updated security requirements are contained in the 12th revision of Annex 17 (Security) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, adopted today by the Council of the Organization.

“This latest revision to the Security Annex has been in development for some time and reflects our determination to constantly review and adapt ICAO security standards to address a rapidly evolving security situation. It also complements a number of recent initiatives to significantly increase the level of aviation security, in a proactive and concerted manner,” said Mr. Roberto Kobeh González, ICAO Council President.

The recent 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly unanimously adopted a Declaration which identified a number of areas where States committed to working together, in cooperation with the industry, on security issues. These include air cargo security, screening technologies to detect prohibited articles, strengthening international standards, improving security information-sharing and providing capacity-building assistance to States in need. 

A diplomatic conference, held in Beijing in September 2010 under the auspices of ICAO, adopted two international air law instruments for the suppression of unlawful acts relating to civil aviation.

The two treaties further criminalize the act of using civil aircraft as a weapon, and of using dangerous materials to attack aircraft or other targets on the ground. They also provide for the unlawful transport of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, and their related material, to be punishable. Making a threat against civil aviation may also trigger criminal liability. 

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