55-601: Airports Council International ( ACI ) is an organization of airport authorities , informing members of industry practices and airport standards. Established in 1991, its headquarters (ACI World) are based in Montreal, Quebec , Canada , and its members operate more than 2000 airports. Major programs include safety enhancement and Airport Service Quality Awards (ASQ), based on passenger satisfaction ratings. Other initiatives cover economics, operational security, carbon accreditation , and passenger transportation. Before 1970,
110-475: A seamless global air traffic management system. ICAO has published standards for machine-readable passports . Machine-readable passports have an area where some of the information otherwise written in textual form is also written as strings of alphanumeric characters, printed in a manner suitable for optical character recognition , which enables border controllers and other law enforcement agents to process such passports more quickly without having to enter
165-477: A direct party to ICAO, its government delegated Switzerland to enter into the treaty on its behalf, and the treaty is applicable in the territory of Liechtenstein. The Republic of China was a founding member of ICAO. Following its retreat to Taiwan , it was eventually replaced by the People's Republic of China as the legal representative of China in 1971. In 2013, Taiwan was for the first time invited to attend
220-441: A group of airport commissioners, who are appointed to lead the authority by a government official. In Canada, airport authorities usually refer to private (not government owned or affiliated) not-for-profit companies that are established to manage a city's commercial airports. International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO / ˌ aɪ ˈ k eɪ oʊ / eye- KAY -oh )
275-638: A model of the standard variation of pressure , temperature , density , and viscosity with altitude in the Earth's atmosphere . This is useful in calibrating instruments and designing aircraft. The standardized pressure is also used in calibrating instruments in-flight, particularly above the transition altitude . ICAO is active in infrastructure management, including communication, navigation and surveillance / air traffic management (CNS/ATM) systems, which employ digital technologies (like satellite systems with various levels of automation) in order to maintain
330-561: A set of best practices together with measuring and benchmarking opportunities provided through the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programs. In 2015, ACI created an Expert Group on Slots (EGS) that proposes a worldwide policy on slots . The Group wrote a Position Paper to guide ACI's advocacy on this topic and recommend involvement in the development of the IATA Worldwide Slot Guidelines. ASQ
385-583: A strictly operational and non-political point of view, I believe Taiwan should be there." The ICAO Council is elected by the Assembly every three years and consists of 36 members elected in three groups. The present council was elected in October 2022. The structure of the present Council is as follows: The Air Navigation Commission (ANC) is the ICAO Council technical executive body in charge of 17 of
440-453: A tweet stating that publishers of "irrelevant, compromising and offensive material" would be "precluded". Since that action, the organization has followed a policy of blocking anyone asking about it. The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs harshly criticized ICAO's perceived failure to uphold principles of fairness, inclusion, and transparency by silencing non-disruptive opposing voices. Senator Marco Rubio also criticized
495-404: Is PAMR.) Not all airports are assigned codes in both systems; for example, airports that do not have airline service do not need an IATA code. ICAO also assigns three-letter airline codes versus the more-familiar two-letter IATA codes—for example, UAL vs. UA for United Airlines . ICAO also provides telephony designators to aircraft operators worldwide, a one- or two-word designator used on
550-729: Is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. The ICAO headquarters are located in the Quartier international de Montréal of Montreal , Quebec, Canada. The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices concerning air navigation, its infrastructure, flight inspection , prevention of unlawful interference, and facilitation of border-crossing procedures for international civil aviation . ICAO defines
605-624: Is a worldwide program part of the ACI's Airport Quality Service Initiative that surveys passengers on their day of travel, measuring passengers' views. The program claims to "measure passengers' satisfaction" at the departure and arrival stages of their journey through airports. ACI first launched the Airports Excellence Program (APEX) in Safety in 2012. The program provides assistance for airports to enhance their level of safety. It
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#1732782413914660-503: Is an entity responsible for the operation and oversight of an airport or group of airports. The Airports Council International is the world trade association of airport authorities. In some countries, when the authority of an entity encompasses more than just the airports in an area, harbor and rail facilities for example, the entity may be referred to as a port authority . In the United States, authorities are often governed by
715-444: Is based on airport safety reviews, which analyze gaps in airport operation and infrastructure in comparison to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and safety best practices. ACI organizes and dispatches an on-site team from ICAO and other airports to identify and remedy safety vulnerabilities through peer reviews, information sharing, training, and assistance with implementations of management structures. It covers
770-455: Is involved in airport design specifications, standard operating procedures for airports, technology, systems & equipment, safety management systems for airports, safety guidance material and training. ACI encourages its member airports to improve operational and cost efficiency to moderate the cost of flying, mitigate capacity shortfalls and create sufficient rates of return. ACI has formulated policy positions on security issues that guide
825-787: Is pressing ahead with its plans to include aviation. ICAO has been called "flawed and biased in favour of the industry" by Jo Dardenne, the manager for aviation at Transport & Environment . On 6 October 2016, the ICAO finalized an agreement among its 191 member nations to address the more than 1000 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted annually by international passenger and cargo flights. The agreement will use an offsetting scheme called CORSIA (the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) under which forestry and other carbon-reducing activities are directly funded, amounting to about 2% of annual revenues for
880-623: The Airport Service Quality Awards (ASQ) , based on passenger satisfaction ratings in the ASQ Survey, which is a global survey based on interviews with passengers on the day of travel. Along with the World Airport Awards by Skytrax , it is considered one of the most prestigious accolades in the industry. The awards are given out in five categories: Airport authority An airport authority
935-556: The Boeing 747 -100, -200 and -300 are given the type designators B741 , B742 and B743 respectively. Since 2010, ICAO recommends a unification of units of measurement within aviation based on the International System of Units (SI), using: Non-SI units have been permitted for temporary use since 1979, but a termination date has not yet been established, which would complete metrication of worldwide aviation, and
990-896: The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association representing airlines ; the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), an organization for air navigation service providers (ANSPs); and the Airports Council International , a trade association of airport authorities . In addition there are several regional civil aviation commissions, such as the Latin America Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC) who focus on challenges and growth in specific regions. The forerunner to ICAO
1045-547: The 19 Annexes to the Chicago Convention. ANC develops and recommend ICAO minimal standards that are related to these Annexes. To review and/or finalize the ongoing developments the commission meets for three sessions per year. Each session normally considers a number of documents being developments of ANC expert Panels. The ANC is composed of nineteen commissioners nominated by ICAO States in various aviation domains. However, legally these commissioners do not represent
1100-406: The 2020 level, allowing unregulated growth until then. Only 65 nations will participate in the initial voluntary period, not including significant emitters Russia, India and perhaps Brazil. The agreement does not cover domestic emissions, which are 40% of the global industry's overall emissions. One observer of the ICAO convention made this summary: Airline claims that flying will now be green are
1155-758: The Asia-Pacific region in 2011, in Africa in 2013, and eventually went global in 2014 with the extension to the regions of North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2017, IATA and ACI launched the New Experience in Travel and Technologies (NEXTT) initiative for on-ground transport experience, to guide industry investments and help governments improve the regulatory framework. NEXTT investigates how
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#17327824139141210-474: The Chicago Convention, in Chicago , was signed by 52 countries on 7 December 1944. Under its terms, a Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization was to be established, to be replaced in turn by a permanent organization when twenty-six countries ratified the convention. PICAO began operating on 6 June 1945, replacing ICAN. The 26th country ratified the convention on 5 March 1947 and, consequently, PICAO
1265-768: The Convention on International Civil Aviation. Altitude, elevation, height. ICAO has a headquarters, seven regional offices, and one regional sub-office: Emissions from international aviation are specifically excluded from the targets agreed under the Kyoto Protocol . Instead, the Protocol invites developed countries to pursue the limitation or reduction of emissions through the International Civil Aviation Organization. ICAO's environmental committee continues to consider
1320-579: The ICAO Assembly, at its 38th session, as a guest under the name of " Chinese Taipei ". As of September 2019 , it has not been invited to participate again, due to renewed PRC pressure. The host government, Canada , supports Taiwan's inclusion in ICAO. Support also comes from Canada's commercial sector with the president of the Air Transport Association of Canada saying in 2019 that "It's about safety in aviation so from
1375-649: The ICAO code for Los Angeles International Airport is KLAX. Canada follows a similar pattern, where a prefix of C is usually added to an IATA code to create the ICAO code. For example, Calgary International Airport is YYC or CYYC. (In contrast, airports in Hawaii are in the Pacific region and so have ICAO codes that start with PH ; Kona International Airport 's code is PHKO. Similarly, airports in Alaska have ICAO codes that start with PA . Merrill Field , for instance
1430-488: The ICAO triennial conference to Doha was defeated by a vote of 22–14. In January 2020, ICAO blocked several Twitter users, including think-tank analysts, U.S. Congressional staff, and journalists, who mentioned Taiwan in tweets related to ICAO. Many of the tweets were related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Taiwan's exclusion from ICAO safety and health bulletins due to pressure from China . In response, ICAO issued
1485-680: The International Flight Network, Philbin refused to acknowledge the existence of Taiwan. On 1 February 2020, the United States Department of State issued a press release heavily criticizing ICAO's actions, characterizing them as "outrageous, unacceptable, and not befitting of a UN organization." The 9th edition of the Convention on International Civil Aviation includes modifications from years 1948 up to 2006. ICAO refers to its current edition of
1540-649: The Kyoto targets agreed by countries. This has led to some national policies such as fuel and emission taxes for domestic air travel in the Netherlands and Norway , respectively. Although some countries tax the fuel used by domestic aviation, there is no duty on kerosene used on international flights. ICAO is currently opposed to the inclusion of aviation in the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The EU , however,
1595-717: The US, FAA practices require the digits of the flight number to be spoken in group format ("Japan Air One Eleven" in the above example) while individual digits are used for the aircraft tail number used for unscheduled civil flights. ICAO maintains the standards for aircraft registration , including the alphanumeric codes that identify the country of registration. ICAO is also responsible for issuing two to four character alphanumeric aircraft type designators for those aircraft types which are most commonly provided with air traffic service. These codes provide an abbreviated aircraft type identification, typically used in flight plans . For example,
1650-775: The airline industry, such as the Aeronautical Message Handling System (AMHS). This makes it a standards organization . Each country should have an accessible Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), based on standards defined by ICAO, containing information essential to air navigation . Countries are required to update their AIP manuals every 28 days and so provide definitive regulations, procedures and information for each country about airspace and airports. ICAO's standards also dictate that temporary hazards to aircraft must be regularly published using NOTAMs . ICAO defines an International Standard Atmosphere (also known as ICAO Standard Atmosphere),
1705-458: The code LFPO (the 3rd letter sometimes refers to the particular flight information region (FIR) or the last two may be arbitrary). In most parts of the world, ICAO and IATA codes are unrelated; for example, Charles de Gaulle Airport has an IATA code of CDG. However, the location prefix for the continental United States is K , and ICAO codes are usually the IATA code with this prefix. For example,
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1760-529: The convention as the Statute and designates it as ICAO Document 7300/9. The convention has 19 Annexes that are listed by title in the article Convention on International Civil Aviation . As of April 2019 , there are 193 ICAO members, consisting of 192 of the 193 UN members (all but Liechtenstein , which lacks an international airport), plus the Cook Islands . Despite Liechtenstein not being
1815-506: The deal was mixed. The agreement has critics. It is not aligned with the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which set the objective of restricting global warming to 1.5 to 2 °C. A late draft of the agreement would have required the air transport industry to assess its share of global carbon budgeting to meet that objective, but the text was removed in the agreed version. CORSIA will regulate only about 25 percent of aviation's international emissions, since it grandfathers all emissions below
1870-488: The direction of the ANC through the formal process of ICAO Panels. Once approved by the commission, standards are sent to the council, the political body of ICAO, for consultation and coordination with the member states before final adoption. ICAO is distinct from other international air transport organizations, particularly because it alone is vested with international authority (among signatory states): other organizations include
1925-1165: The following units are still in widespread use within commercial aviation: inches of mercury are used in Japan and North America to measure pressure, although sometimes METAR at Japanese airports show only hPa . Aviation in Russia and China currently use km/h for reporting airspeed, and many present-day European glider planes also indicate airspeed in kilometres per hour. China and North Korea use metres for reporting altitude when communicating with pilots. Russia also formerly used metres exclusively for reporting altitude, but in 2011 changed to feet for high altitude flight. From February 2017, Russian airspace started transitioning to reporting altitude in feet only. Runway lengths are now commonly given in metres worldwide, except in North America where feet are commonly used. The following table summarizes units commonly used in flight and ground operations and their recommended replacement. A full list of recommended units can be found in annex 5 to
1980-506: The founding members of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), ACI, along with other trade associations, is part of a coalition of aviation industry experts focusing on sustainable development issues. ATAG defines common positions on issues to make contributions to the industry and governmental consultation processes. ACI helps airports improve their management or flow of passengers, baggage, cargo and mail by providing
2035-431: The incorporation of training into airport staff security awareness programs, and support activities of governments, charities and non-governmental organizations who are involved in the prevention of human trafficking. Airports Council International is committed to developing a framework to fight wildlife trafficking and adopting and encouraging the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy regarding illegal wildlife trade . ACI
2090-498: The information manually into a computer. ICAO's technical standard for machine-readable passports is contained in Document 9303 Machine Readable Travel Documents . A more recent standard covers biometric passports . These contain biometrics to authenticate the identity of travellers. The passport's critical information is stored on a tiny RFID computer chip, much like information stored on smart cards . Like some smart cards,
2145-401: The interest of their State or any particular State or region. They have to conduct independently in the interest of the entire international civil aviation community. Additionally, several other representatives from ICAO States and up to eight members from the civil aviation industry may be invited to take part in ANC meetings as observers. ICAO also standardizes certain functions for use in
2200-559: The move. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan) (MOFA) and Taiwanese legislators criticized the move with MOFA head Jaushieh Joseph Wu tweeting in support of those blocked. In January 2020, Anthony Philbin, Chief of Communications for the ICAO Secretary General, defended ICAO's actions, stating, 'We felt completely justified in taking steps to protect the integrity of the information and discussions that our followers reasonably expect from our feeds.' In exchanges with
2255-649: The organization and member airports. All of the ACI IT initiatives are coordinated through the ACI World Airport IT Standing Committee, constituted by people from airports and business partners and aims to reformulate recommended practices and develop guidelines, benchmarking and training materials. ACI develops initiatives to reduce environmental impacts while supporting economic and social benefits. It created tools to help airports calculate their greenhouse gas emissions . As one of
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2310-630: The passengers, cargo, baggage and aircraft move through the travel journey with a focus on change in off-airport activities, processing technology, and interactive decision-making. Airports Council International expressed airports' commitment to the fight against human trafficking through the approbation of a resolution during the ACI World General Assembly in 2016. The resolution expressed ACI's commitments to promote awareness of human trafficking through media, provide access to training materials and materials for distribution, encourage
2365-540: The passport book design calls for an embedded contactless chip that is able to hold digital signature data to ensure the integrity of the passport and the biometric data. Both ICAO and IATA have their own airport and airline code systems. ICAO uses 4-letter airport codes (vs. IATA's 3-letter codes ). The ICAO code is based on the region and country of the airport—for example, Charles de Gaulle Airport has an ICAO code of LFPG, where L indicates Southern Europe, F , France, PG , Paris de Gaulle, while Orly Airport has
2420-405: The potential for using market-based measures such as trading and charging, but this work is unlikely to lead to global action. It is currently developing guidance for states who wish to include aviation in an emissions trading scheme (ETS) to meet their Kyoto commitments, and for airlines who wish to participate voluntarily in a trading scheme. Emissions from domestic aviation are included within
2475-583: The protocols for air accident investigation that are followed by transport safety authorities in countries signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation . The Air Navigation Commission (ANC) is the technical body within ICAO. The commission is composed of 19 commissioners, nominated by the ICAO's contracting states and appointed by the ICAO Council. Commissioners serve as independent experts, who although nominated by their states, do not serve as state or political representatives. International Standards and Recommended Practices are developed under
2530-457: The radio, usually, but not always, similar to the aircraft operator name. For example, the identifier for Japan Airlines International is JAL and the designator is Japan Air , but Aer Lingus is EIN and Shamrock . Thus, a Japan Airlines flight numbered 111 would be written as "JAL111" and pronounced "Japan Air One One One" on the radio, while a similarly numbered Aer Lingus would be written as "EIN111" and pronounced "Shamrock One One One". In
2585-414: The sector. Rules against 'double counting' should ensure that existing forest protection efforts are not recycled. The scheme did not take effect until 2021 and will be voluntary until 2027, but many countries, including the US and China, have promised to begin at its 2020 inception date. Under the agreement, the global aviation emissions target is a 50% reduction by 2050 relative to 2005. NGO reaction to
2640-639: The setup, implementation, and performance of the safety management system in the areas of physical characteristics & pavement management, air rescue and firefighting, wildlife management, apron management, documentation, record keeping, and security management systems. In October 2017, ACI launched the APEX in Security Program based on the same principles as APEX in Safety. The program covers Operational Security Management, with assessments being performed by security experts. Airport Carbon Accreditation
2695-504: The world's airports were represented by three distinct associations: In 1970, these three associations created the Airport Associations Coordinating Council (AACC) in order to formulate unified airport industry policies, furthering collaboration between its constituent associations and representing them collectively with aviation organizations and other relevant bodies. The decision to create ACI
2750-537: Was disestablished on 4 April 1947 and replaced by ICAO, which began operations the same day. In October 1947, ICAO became an agency of the United Nations under its Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In April 2013, Qatar offered to serve as the new permanent seat of the Organization. Qatar promised to construct a massive new headquarters for ICAO and to cover all moving expenses, stating that Montreal "was too far from Europe and Asia", "had cold winters",
2805-478: Was hard to attend due to the Canadian government's slow issuance of visas, and that the taxes imposed on ICAO by Canada were too high. According to The Globe and Mail , Qatar's invitation was at least partly motivated by the pro-Israel foreign policy of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper . Approximately a month later, Qatar withdrew its bid after a separate proposal to the ICAO's governing council to move
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#17327824139142860-483: Was launched as an independent, voluntary program in 2009 after the adoption of a resolution on climate change in 2008 at the annual assembly of ACI Europe. Member airports are committed to reduce carbon emissions from their operations, with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral. The program allowed the assessment and recognition of participating airports' efforts to manage and reduce their CO 2 emissions. Airport Carbon Accreditation has been extended to airports in
2915-637: Was one of the parties involved in the signature of the United for Wildlife Task Force Declaration at the Buckingham Palace in 2016. The organization is dedicated to developing practical solutions while cooperating with international initiatives such as the Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) partnership. ACI delivers data regarding the aviation industry monthly and annually. The ACI gives out
2970-1245: Was taken in 1989. The Constitution of ACI to succeed AACC was approved in the autumn of 1990 and came into effect in 1991. In 2011, ACI relocated its headquarters from Geneva, Switzerland , to Montreal, Canada . The decision was in part motivated by the fact that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) are both also located in Montreal. ACI reported 814 members operating 2,110 airports in 169 countries and territories. ACI regular members are owners or operators, other than airlines, of one or more civil airports with commercial air services. ACI represents airports interests with governments and international organizations such as ICAO , develops standards, policies and recommended practices for airports, and provides information and training. ACI considers safety its main priority and has launched programs such as Airport Excellence (APEX) to help airports enhance their level of safety. It also provides publications that describe recommendations and best practices for airport operators. It
3025-730: Was the International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN). It held its first convention in 1903 in Berlin , Germany , but no agreements were reached among the eight countries that attended. At the second convention in 1906, also held in Berlin, twenty-seven countries attended. The third convention, held in London in 1912, allocated the first radio callsigns for use by aircraft. ICAN continued to operate until 1945. The Convention on International Civil Aviation , also known as
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