The next golden age of flight will be open to all

With last year’s launch of ICAO’s ambitious strategic plan for 2050, the international community charted a long-haul course towards zero fatalities, net-zero carbon emissions, and air transport for all. Achieving these aspirations will require unprecedented cooperation and investment among all 193 Member States and aviation stakeholders, an expanded role for our leadership in global aviation, and renewed focus in our  core business of setting standards, spotting risks, and keeping the world’s skies open for all.

The past year proved that we can deliver: from sharpening definitions of emerging threats, to updating the rulebook for a digital age, to helping every Member State keep pace with relentless innovation. ICAO’s focus on its core mission strengthened the foundation for progress, with the provision of excellent new technical guidance to regulators, operators, and manufacturers to ensure the safety and security of every flight.

Fully understanding the major and emerging risks to flight enables ICAO to develop strategies and standards that meet the challenges of today, and tomorrow. In 2025, we identified and introduced new risk categories for turbulence, system performance, and runway operations. Our comprehensive audit schedule supported the enhanced implementation of safety and security standards worldwide. Cybersecurity is now fully integrated in our agenda, with fresh guidance and interactive seminars equipping Member States to meet tomorrow’s challenges with confidence.

This is fully supported by our work to ensure every Member State can implement its standards, especially those of critical importance to the industry’s future. Our “No Country Left Behind” ethos is driving this progress. In 2025, we had initiatives that supported 143 States, bringing cutting-edge infrastructure and technology to every corner of the globe. From Africa to Latin America to the Pacific, radar systems, air traffic management, simulators, e-passports, and weather radars have elevated connectivity into a shared global standard. Each of the 109 projects, delivered with a dozen international partners, has laid essential foundations for the dynamic, inclusive aviation system envisioned in ICAO’s long-term plan.

Strengthening the foundations for progress also means investing in people. The 2025 expansion of ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals initiative is ensuring that the industry’s human resource challenges are met through a broad and inclusive approach to workforce training and recruitment, while a landmark global summit and the launch of the Global Ambassadors Programme will empower women and youth to take flight. New research and gender analysis tools, developed with UN Women, will also help ensure aviation’s future is as diverse and vibrant as the world it connects. ICAO is continually enhancing training programmes which now harness artificial intelligence—digital avatars, real-time translation, and interactive content—to make aviation careers more accessible and appealing worldwide.

That is one example of how innovation is thriving at ICAO. Many more were on show during the 2025 ICAO Innovation Fair, which offered hands-on demonstrations, and a new Policy on Innovation is setting the stage for even faster technology adoption as the 2050 vision unfolds. And inside ICAO, the completion of the transformation agenda ensures the organization now operates with digital agility.

Innovation is also at the heart of how ICAO is leading progress towards access to air transport for all. The Doha Declaration, adopted in 2025, united Member States around a vision of seamless, digital travel and a passenger experience tailored for tomorrow. New provisions for borders, data, and accessibility reflect an industry ready for a future of smooth and secure journeys. The Traveller Identification Programme, updated and strengthened, now provides a global platform for secure, interoperable identity management—key to realizing the ambitions of our strategic plan.

As air transport grows, ICAO’s new robust system for tracking progress toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is helping align 154 countries, covering 99% of global airline activity, around their shared commitment. Progress  in 2025 included the first application for the certification of lower-carbon aviation, and continued growth of the Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme. This programme is thriving, with over 280 partners, dozens of training sessions, and an ever-growing network of financiers eager to support greener skies. Governments were informed of how much international air transport has grown since the launch of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), enabling them to calculate the amount of carbon emissions their airlines must offset, and new standards for noise and nitrogen oxides are setting benchmarks for environmental stewardship.

ICAO’s achievements in 2025 have set the stage for transformative progress. With our 2050 strategic plan already underway, today’s momentum will grow as we lead our 193 Member States towards unprecedented levels of safety, sustainability, and connectivity. We are looking at nothing less than a new golden age for flight—but this time, it will be a golden age that includes everyone, everywhere.