MONTRÉAL, 4 DECEMBER 2015 – The Council President of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, announced this week that the 36-State ICAO Council has agreed to elevate the status of the Organization’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Task Force to full Programme status.

“In reaching this decision, the Council has clearly recognized the importance of effective human resources planning and development, in order to ensure sufficient numbers of skilled aviation professionals to meet projected future needs,” President Aliu commented. “The NGAP Task Force has consistently met or surpassed its objectives since it was first established in 2009, and its recognition now as a full Programme in ICAO will ensure it continues to receive the resources and acknowledgment befitting its importance to the safe and reliable future of our sector.”

The newly-achieved Programme status is an important first step towards NGAP objectives and targets being incorporated into ICAO’s Global Plans for Safety and Air Navigation, as well as the ICAO Business Plan and Strategic Objectives.

Further requirements and planning relating to the transition are being discussed this week while Global NGAP stakeholders are meeting for the 7th NGAP Task Force Meeting at ICAO HQ in Montréal.

“Aviation is an intensely technological sector and requires vast numbers of skilled and dedicated professionals globally to ensure system safety and efficiency levels,” noted Dr. Thomas Q. Carney, who has been the NGAP Task Force Chairperson since its inception.

“Given that the 100,000+ flights and 9 million passengers aviation now moves around the world each day is projected to double by 2030, the importance of programmes like ICAO NGAP to future system viability cannot be over-emphasized.”

Source: ICAO