ICAO Council President Calls for Stronger Conflict Zone Risk Mitigation at Safer Skies Forum

The critical importance of mitigating risks to civil aviation over conflict zones took center stage during ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano’s advocacy at the Fourth Annual Safer Skies Forum, held on April 8, 2025, in Marrakech, Morocco.

Ahead of the forum, President Sciacchitano met with H.E. Abdessamad Kayouh, Morocco’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, to explore enhanced cooperation on air safety.

Commending Morocco’s leadership in hosting the discussions, the President emphasised the urgency of global collaboration in building a resilient aviation sector.

During his opening remarks, President Sciacchitano reaffirmed ICAO’s commitment to the Canada-launched Safer Skies initiative, originally developed after the tragic downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 in 2020.

He stressed the importance of strengthening crisis preparedness, intelligence sharing, and civil-military coordination—efforts that are also integral to ICAO’s Strategic Plan for 2026–2050, which aims for zero fatalities from accidents or unlawful interference.

“Our success depends on collective action. Governments, regulatory bodies, industry leaders, and aviation professionals must work in concert to develop a resilient, agile aviation sector capable of meeting future challenges,” Sciacchitano remarked.

Strengthening Conflict Zone Risk Mitigation

ICAO highlighted key steps to strengthen conflict zone risk mitigation, including:

• Launching a global awareness campaign
• Developing an Implementation Package (iPack) for conflict zones with Canada’s support
• Establishing a globally harmonised crisis response framework
• Introducing a Regional Air Traffic Management Contingency Framework

The President called on participants to use the forum as a platform to advance political momentum and technical collaboration, reiterating ICAO’s unwavering support for the Safer Skies initiative.