ICAO: It's crucial to elevate Azerbaijan's civil aviation dev't to next level

It is important to elevate Azerbaijan's civil aviation development to the next level, according to Juan Carlos Salazar Gómez, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Report informs, citing Azerbaijan's Ministry of Digital Development and Transport.

He made the remark during a meeting with a delegation led by Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Elmin Mammadov, held jointly with Nicolas Rallo, Regional Director of ICAO's European and North Atlantic Office in Bern, Switzerland.

The Secretary General praised Azerbaijan's work as an active member state of ICAO in the region. He said that Azerbaijan has successfully implemented a number of important projects, and that ICAO has always supported it and will continue to do so in the future.

Salazar Gómez also highlighted the necessity of developing a Civil Aviation Master Plan for this purpose. He stressed that such plans are already being effectively used by leading aviation states and serve as an important tool for systematically planning and coordinating growth targets.

Deputy Minister Mammadov, in turn, emphasized the importance of this systematic approach for the further development of Azerbaijan's aviation sector. He stated that the government, civil aviation authority, and aviation industry will work together under ICAO's leadership to develop and effectively implement such a plan in close coordination.

Additionally, the Azerbaijani delegation was informed about ICAO's Strategic Plan for 2026-2050 and transformation goals. It was noted that ICAO has already begun implementing these goals, defined key development directions, and taken concrete steps to meet member states' expectations.

It was also emphasized that while ICAO's role was previously limited to being an intergovernmental organization that only defined international aviation standards, it has now transformed into an organization that, while maintaining these core functions, actively provides support for properly assessing and meeting the needs of member states.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijani delegation conveyed Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev's official invitation to the ICAO Secretary General. It was emphasized that such a visit would not only serve to continue high-level cooperation between ICAO and Azerbaijan but would also provide an opportunity to bring aviation projects implemented in Azerbaijan to the attention of this specialized international organization.