ICAO calls on aviation regulators to productively engage with innovators

MONTREAL, Canada, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) called on aviation regulators to operate in creative ways to productively engage with innovators, according to a press release issued by the UN agency on Tuesday.

Demonstrating how emerging technologies can deliver a sustainable and resilient recovery for the international air transport system, the 2022 ICAO Innovation Fair was held in Sept. 24-26, helping set the stage for the opening of the ICAO 41st Assembly on Tuesday.

Closing the fair, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar said this year's fair highlighted an array of challenges in bringing aviation innovations from concept to reality, both for innovators and for regulators.

"Many of these factors are common across jurisdictions," Salazar said. "This highlights the need for regulators to operate in new and creative ways to productively engage with innovators, and new ways to communicate with a broader range of stakeholders."

Taking place in Montreal, this special three-day event attracted over 1,400 attendees, and featured traditional and new players who are delivering a technological revolution in aviation worldwide.

An exhibition included prototypes of cutting-edge aircraft types and other latest air transport technologies and solutions, the release said.

The panels focused on different facets of innovation and their deployment for international civil aviation, addressing regulatory challenges, urban air mobility integration, aviation sustainability, incubator programs, artificial intelligence, behavioural science, implementation support and capacity building, according to the release.

The ICAO is a United Nations specialized agency that works with its 193 member states to set and audit safety, security, emissions, navigation, and facilitation standards to shape and improve international air operations. The ICAO Assembly, meeting once every three years, will hold its 41st session from Sept. 27 to Oct. 7, during which member states and representatives from international organizations will establish the ICAO's priorities, supporting the increased sustainability and digitalization of 21st century air transport.