Today is International Civil Aviation Day

Today, December 7 is the International Civil Aviation Day. It marks the date of emergence of the Convention on International Civil Aviation with 52 States' signatories on December 7, 1944 at the end of a well-attended international conference held in Chicago, USA. The Convention on International Civil Aviation which is popularly referred to as the 'Chicago Convention' laid the foundation for the establishment of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which later became an agency of the United Nations (established in 1945) specialized in the field of civil aviation. On December 7 when ICAO celebrates its 70th birthday, a total of one hundred and ninety one (191) States in the world have become its Member States by subscribing to the Convention.

ICAO is governed by a Council comprised of 36 States elected amongst its Member States through a ballot conducted at its Assembly which is held every three years at the ICAO headquarters located in Montreal, Canada. The Council is headed by the President who is the Chief of the ICAO. In order to facilitate smooth functioning and effective coordination with Member States, ICAO has established Seven (7) Regional Offices. In order to help accomplish its mission, ICAO has established a few Commissions on different subjects with Member States serving in the Council. The workhorse of the ICAO is the Secretariat which is administered by the Secretary General with the assistance of Directors, Regional Directors and over eight hundred (800) of employees.

Human beings realized the vast potentials of aviation with the first powered, controlled and sustained flight operated by Write Brothers on 17th December 1903 in North Carolina, USA. Commercial Aviation in the world commenced on 1st January 1914 with a one fare paying passenger onboard thus commemorates the centenary in commercial aviation in this year.

Over the past 70 years, the Air Transport has become the safest, expeditious, efficient, regular, economical and environmentally friendly mode of transport amongst other modes of transport in the world and ICAO played a very prominent and vital role for the achievement of this significant status.

There are currently over 10,000 International Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) relating to civil aviation adapted by ICAO for the implementation by the Member States.

Those SARPS are reflected in the nineteen (19) Annexes to the Chicago Convention and it is through these provisions, as well as ICAO's complementary policy, guidance material, auditing and capacity-building efforts, that today's global air transport network is able to operate close to 100,000 daily flights, safely, efficiently and securely in every region of the world.