COVID-19 is an exceptional circumstance for our community, but it also provides us with an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate the strength and resilience of our global coordination frameworks.
In an open letter to its collegues, signed by Fang Liu, Secretary General, International Civil Aviation Organization says,
Dear colleagues,
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is committed to participating in the global efforts to control the spread of COVID-19. We recognize the intensity and the seriousness of the impacts this is presenting, both to States and especially operators across the global aviation community.
ICAO’s top priority is to ensure that our organization remains a capable and effective partner in assuring the well-being of staff, the travelling public, and aviation personnel. We are therefore providing the sector with as much information, assistance, and support as possible, including through coordination and information sharing with the WHO and other agencies.
With respect to our own activities and capabilities here in ICAO, local conditions are evolving rapidly with respect to the capacities of our offices and personnel globally as we monitor and adhere to the latest local response guidelines.
This has now required all major ICAO meetings and events for the March and April time periods to be postponed. Only small and essential meetings will be conducted with external parties, and mission travel over the same time period has been cancelled. On-site staffing is being reduced as much as possible, as social distancing and self-isolation regimens continue to be implemented and expanded by public health authorities.
Essential and offsite management and planning functions are fully in force, however, and we will continue to monitor this situation as it evolves and provide all relevant updates, advice, and support.
COVID-19 is an exceptional circumstance for our community, but it also provides us with an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate the strength and resilience of our global coordination frameworks, to fine-tune our respective organizational responses to emergency circumstances, and to consider as well how we might share the financial and other burdens being felt, among both public and private sectors, to ensure that global connectivity is sustained long after COVID-19 has run its course.
We wish everyone the best in the days and weeks ahead. Be safe and be prudent.
Fang Liu
Secretary General
International Civil Aviation Organization
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
