Doha and Montreal, 24 April 2025 - The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Facilitation Conference concluded last week in Doha, Qatar, with the adoption of the Doha Declaration on Facilitation of International Air Transport, establishing a framework to transform global air travel as the industry prepares for unprecedented growth.
The four-day Conference, hosted by the Government of Qatar, gathered more than 2,000 delegates from 138 States and 17 International Organizations, under the theme "Collaboration, Efficiency, and Inclusivity."
"Today marks a pivotal moment in aviation history," said ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano. "The Doha Declaration establishes a framework for addressing emerging challenges while setting a clear strategic direction for facilitation in civil aviation. This represents our strategy toward a more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable aviation system that will shape how billions of people experience air travel in the decades to come."
The Declaration comes at a critical time, as ICAO forecasts that passenger numbers will nearly triple by 2050, reaching over 12.4 billion annually, creating opportunities and challenges for the industry.
"The adoption of the Doha Declaration codifies our shared vision for the future of air transport facilitation," said ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar. "As global mobility increases, ensuring that international air transport is seamless, efficient, and operates as a global system becomes ever more essential."
H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani, Minister of Transport of Qatar, underscored the significance of hosting this landmark event: "Qatar's hosting of this important event confirms the great importance we attach to the civil aviation sector as a fundamental pillar for economic development and enhancing regional and international connectivity."
"We look forward to paving the way toward achieving efficiency, inclusivity, and flexibility in passenger and cargo transport," said Mohamed Faleh Al-Hajri, Acting President of Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority. "This is not only an operational necessity but also a fundamental factor in enhancing the role of the aviation industry and its positive impact on the development of the global economy."
Throughout the Conference, expert panels and high-level discussions illuminated several crucial themes:
• Digital Transformation in Border Management: Experts demonstrated how biometric technologies and digital travel credentials are revolutionizing passenger processing. ICAO's Public Key Directory now has 104 participating States, validating over 2 billion ePassports worldwide.• Inter-Agency Coordination: Discussions revealed that only 33% of Member States had active National Facilitation Coordination Committees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strengthening these committees was identified as essential to future crisis response.• Passenger Experience Enhancement: Industry leaders proposed solutions to reduce end-to-end travel time to as little as 45 minutes through seamless contactless technology.• Cargo Facilitation: While air cargo represents only 2-3% of global trade by volume, it constitutes 35% of trade value. World Customs Organization representatives outlined alignment between the Revised Kyoto Convention and ICAO standards to streamline cargo procedures.• Public Health Resilience: The Conference examined strategies for maintaining safe international air transport during public health emergencies, noting that 85% of Member States now participate in ICAO's Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA) programme.
The Conference also called for universal ratification of the Montréal Convention 1999 and Montréal Protocol 2014, which provide the fundamental legal framework for addressing key facilitation challenges, including compensation for passengers and managing unruly passenger incidents.
"The time has come for us to act on implementing our regulatory framework," Council President Sciacchitano remarked in his closing address. "We have sufficient regulation, and ICAO can play an extremely important role in bringing us all together to facilitate implementation and ensure no country is left behind."
The conference outcomes will inform deliberations at the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montréal this September, where all 193 Member States will convene to adopt binding resolutions on the strategic development of international civil aviation.
During the Conference, ICAO Council President Sciacchitano and Secretary General Salazar held bilateral meetings with delegations from over 25 Member States and regional organizations, reinforcing ICAO's commitment to global engagement and support.
About the ICAO Facilitation Conference
On-demand recordings of the Summit sessions are published on ICAO.tv.
About ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and its 193 member states develop and implement global aviation strategies, technical standards, and capacity building activities to enhance the safety, sustainability, and inclusivity of air services worldwide. ICAO's mission is to expand access to air transport while progressing towards zero aviation fatalities and net-zero carbon emissions. This year, the Organization is celebrating its 80th anniversary.
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