For international air transport to be truly accessible, passengers need to be able to move through the different stages of their journey with dignity and without discrimination. This includes persons with disabilities and reduced mobility, as well as passengers with non-visible disabilities.
Accessibility forms part of the broader facilitation of international air transport. The 42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly reaffirmed that facilitation must ensure dignity, non-discrimination and the protection of vulnerable and at-risk travellers, while ICAO’s Strategic Goal “Aviation Delivers Seamless, Accessible and Reliable Mobility for All” places accessibility within the Organization’s long-term vision for international civil aviation.
Achieving this requires cooperation across the air transport system. States, airports, airlines, international organizations and civil society all have a role in advancing accessibility measures and supporting greater harmonization throughout the air transport journey. It is within this context that we are working with Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to convene the Second Joint ICAO/ACI/IATA Symposium on Accessibility in International Civil Aviation from 14 to 15 October 2026 at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal.
Under the theme “Advancing Global Commitment to Inclusive and Universally Accessible Air Transport for All,” the Symposium will build on the first global gathering held in Montréal in December 2024 and focus on advancing international commitment to the implementation of accessibility measures.
From commitment to implementation
Governments have agreed to a variety of international technical standards that ensure the accessibility of air transport; these are annexed to the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation, under Annex 9 on “Facilitation.” We provide guidance on the implementation of these facilitation standards in our Manual on Access to Air Transport by Persons with Disabilities (Doc 9984).
Under Annex 9, States are required to ensure that, when travelling, persons with disabilities are provided with special assistance in order to ensure that they receive services customarily available to the general public. This assistance has to be provided in a manner that respects the dignity of the individual. It also requires States to ensure that necessary measures are taken to enable people living with hearing- and vision-impairments to obtain flight service-related information in accessible formats.
Prioritizing the social sustainability imperatives of inclusion and accessibility is an important aspect of our work. This Symposium will provide a forum for States, industry, international organizations and civil society to examine progress made since the first Joint ICAO/ACI/IATA Symposium, identify persistent barriers and support States in implementing harmonized, end-to-end solutions. These discussions will take place in the context of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, particularly Annex 9 — Facilitation, as well as relevant ICAO guidance material. The event will also contribute toward achieving ICAO Assembly Resolution A42-14 and our Strategic Goal, ‘Aviation Delivers Seamless, Accessible and Reliable Mobility for All’.
By bringing together the different communities involved in international air transport, the Symposium offers an opportunity to continue building a more coordinated approach to accessibility across the passenger journey.
Registration is open for this event…to learn more about the Symposium and register for the event, click here.
