Global aviation summit secures major commitments for sustainable air-transport development

Photo: International Civil Aviation Organization

Global aviation leaders secured significant commitments toward sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and enhanced capacity-building mechanisms at the International Civil Aviation Organization’s fourth Global Implementation Support Symposium.

The three-day event drew 32 senior ministerial officials and over 1,500 attendees from 108 states, setting a new attendance record for GISS events.

The symposium directly advances ICAO’s 2026-’50 strategic plan, which envisions “a safe, secure and sustainable international civil aviation system that connects the world for the benefit of all nations and people.”

The commitments secured during GISS represent concrete steps toward achieving the plan’s three essential aspirations: net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, zero aviation fatalities, and aviation serving as an integral part of a thriving, connected transport system where no country is left behind.

These ambitious goals require unprecedented levels of international cooperation and capacity building.

The comprehensive program featured discussions on artificial intelligence (AI) in aviation, sustainable fuel development, and implementation support mechanisms, which provided insights of critical importance to shaping the international community’s approach to these topics.

Key sessions included “Innovating and Overcoming Complexity with AI-Powered Aviation,” “Synergizing Regulation and Technology for Enhanced Airport Efficiency,” and focused panels on SAF production and financing.

The entire symposium was livestreamed and sessions are now available on-demand on ICAO TV.

“The record ministerial participation at GISS 2025 demonstrates the growing recognition of aviation’s crucial role in supporting economic and societal development,” said Salvatore Sciacchitano, ICAO council president. “These high-level engagements are essential as we work toward SAF production and financing across all regions.”

Addressing the practical implementation of ICAO’s strategic plan, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar noted, “Our enhanced focus on implementation support for resource-constrained states is central to our mission. Through products, services, technical assistance programs and donor engagement, we are ensuring that no country is left behind, but also that no people are left behind, in aviation development.” 

A highlight of the summit was the launch of the Global Sustainable Aviation Marketplace initiative by the general civil aviation authority of the United Arab Emirates and supported by ICAO and Sustainable Aviation Futures.

This forum establishes new pathways to scale aviation decarbonization and SAF production worldwide.

Significant progress on the establishment of the ICAO Finvest Hub was highlighted during the match-making sessions of the Finvest Hub Day.

Focused on developing countries and states with special needs, the hub will connect aviation sustainability projects with investors worldwide, facilitating targeted funding mechanisms for SAF production and clean-energy infrastructure to accelerate these states’ environmental transition.

Building on the success of GISS 2025, Morocco was announced as the host for GISS 2026, ensuring continued momentum in global aviation capacity building and implementation support.

Key achievements

• Secured 21 new bilateral and multilateral agreements on building aviation capacity.

  
  

• Established USD$1 million Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Aviation Award through a partnership with the UAE government.

  
  

• Secured a commitment from the government of France for training 1,000 aviation professionals (2025-’27).

  
  

• Hosted a strategic donor dialogue with 30 states and organizations, yielding key recommendations for innovating ICAO’s fellowship programs to meet evolving aviation-sector needs.

  
  

• Secured the Global Aviation and Aerospace Skills Taskforce commitment to support the ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professionals program.

  
  

• Launched the Global Sustainable Aviation Marketplace initiative.

  
  

• Secured industry support for the ICAO Finvest Hub through letters of intent.

Global, regional impact

• Secured commitment for developing country fellowships with Spain’s development partners.

• Secured support from the government of Japan for Southern African Development Community nations and South American states to enhance their civil aviation master-planning capabilities.

  
  

• Secured commitment to develop Mauritanian civil-aviation master plan.

• Established specialized training programs in Zambia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone that will enhance their technical expertise.

  
  

• Established Trinidad and Tobago technical-capacity partnership.

  
  

• Partnered with Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology for regional capacity building.

  
  

• Secured commitment to develop Kazakhstan civil-aviation master plan.

  
  

• Executed agreement to revitalize Yemen’s civil-aviation sector.

• Concluded training service agreement with government of UAE for women’s empowerment in aviation.

A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO leads the international alignment of technical standards and strategies.