Yearbook of the United Nations, 2004. Part 6, Intergovernmental organizations related to the United Nations. Chapter 9, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Abstract

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) continued in 2004 to promote the safety, security and efficiency of civil air transport by prescribing standards and recommending practices and procedures for facilitating international civil aviation operations. Its objectives were set forth in annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, adopted in Chicago, United States, in 1944 (the Chicago Convention). In 2004, domestic and international scheduled traffic of the world's airlines increased to some 457 billion tonne-kilometres. Overall, passenger traffic increased by about 9 per cent to some 1.8 billion, and freight carriage by about 9 per cent to some 38 million tonne-kilometres. The passenger load factor on scheduled services in 2004 increased to about 73 per cent. Air freight increased by almost 13 per cent to 140.9 billion tonne-kilometres, while there was little change in airmail traffic, which remained at about 4.6 billion tonne-kilometres. Overall passenger/ freight/mail tonne-kilometres increased by some 13 per cent and international tonne-kilometres increased by about 14 per cent. The thirty-fifth session of the ICAO Assembly (Montreal, Canada, 28 September–8 October) elected a new Council and adopted resolutions to strengthen and promote greater transparency in its global safety and security programmes, while endorsing long-term plans of action in other major areas of global air transport. ICAO observed International Civil Aviation Day (7 December) under the theme “International Cooperation: Solutions to Global Aviation Challenges”. In 2004, ICAO membership remained at 188 countries.