ICAO’s Regional Forum Paves The Way For A Digital Transformation In Asia Pacific Air Travel

Published on July 14, 2025

In a significant meeting held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has achieved global consensus to create a more liberalized air transport at the regional level in the Asia Pacific. The two-day gathering, known as the ICAO Facilitation Regional Forum, promoted breakthroughs in border control management and digital services for more streamlined and secure air travel throughout the region.

“Now is the time to address these infrastructure and capacity challenges,” said ICAO’s Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, who highlighted the need to build the requisite air travel infrastructure given that air traffic in Asia-Pacific is projected to lead global growth in the coming decades when it comes to passenger numbers – some 12.4 billion by 2050. This is necessary to accommodate the increasing number of passengers and ensure a safe and secure flow of passengers and goods across borders.

The regional forum brought together 126 participants from diverse government and industry representatives, as well as innovators from international organizations. It represented a milestone in ICAO’s work aimed at addressing the peculiarities of air transport facilitation for developing nations and island states in the area.

Objectives of the Regional Forum

The ICAO Facilitation Regional Forum highlighted the need to progress with the implementation of digital travel credentials and border management systems that are indispensable for facilitating the flow of passengers across borders. The conversations also emphasized the role of utilizing digital infrastructure to work faster, smarter, and in ways that heighten the passenger experience, which is evident for travelers but also attractive to the business of aviation.

Mr. Salazar emphasized the necessity of unified, interoperable systems that could handle the dramatic increase in air traffic expected in the decades to come. “The agreements that we have concluded in this forum define the basis that will guide the transformation of the air transport systems in the region to have the capacity, sustainably and securely, to handle the growth of air traffic that is projected,” stated Salazar.

The role of Mongolia as a host of the forum was especially important. Mongolia is an important transportation node in the Asia-Pacific, so Mongolia’s top leadership was acknowledged for its role in the regional aviation trail. In addition, this year is the centennial anniversary of the establishment of civil aviation in Mongolia, and the AN-2 CHRISTENS THE DAY! And throughout it all…the sun shone like a fracture in the steel blue of the sky, just as it should.

Mongolian Leadership and Regional Cooperation

Mr. Munkhtushig Lkhanaajav, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, underscored the country’s willingness to work with ICAO and all parties on facilitating innovation in air transport. “We are confident that this forum will contribute to a new era of cooperation for regional aviation,” he added, emphasizing Mongolia’s commitment to aviation infrastructure development and facilitation of smooth travel in Asia-Pacific.

Delegates at the forum also considered other schemes, with the implementation of ICAO’s Digital Travel Credential to transform the issuance and verification of travel documents on a global scale. The adoption of digital credentials is designed to help people cross borders more easily and speedily, especially citizens of developing and island countries who encounter additional logistical hurdles getting hold of traditional travel documents.

Progressing Regional Cooperation and Making Use of Technology

Throughout the forum, there was consensus that the future of air travel will rely heavily on a strong partnership between the government and the private sector, together with international organizations. Delegates acknowledged the importance of technology, such as digital credentials and passenger data systems, in the simplification of the passenger experience, as well as the facilitation of seamless international travel.

The forum’s discussions have reiterated the importance of ICAO’s regulatory standards and international specifications in keeping global interoperability of and security of travel documents a reality. Against this backdrop of new technologies entering the aviation industry, the participants explored the possibility of pilot projects to test and further develop ICAO’s Digital Travel Credential and Public Key Directory. And these ventures might provide creative ways to make border control smarter and safer for the millions who travel.

As the proliferation of digital solutions in aviation continues, infrastructure investment has been on the rise as well, especially in nations where new technologies can help piece together passageways for air travel. This type of regional cooperation is one of the only ways to modernize border procedures, since the approach to building a compatible system among the countries of the region is one of the only regional approaches that can adhere to international security, efficiency, and facilitation standards.

Onward and Upward: ICAO Making the Difference Around the World

Results of the ICAO Facilitation Regional Forum will add to the momentum for air travel modernization in the Asia-Pacific. It is a culmination of several regional and global meetings that characterized ICAO’s Year of Facilitation and the 75th anniversary of Annex 9 – Facilitation, the international standard that is the cornerstone for border management and air transport facilitation standards globally.

In the future, the outcomes of this forum will feed into its 42nd Session of the Assembly, slated to be held in Montreal this October. During the assembly, global resolutions and initiatives for enhancing global air transport systems and border management will be addressed. The action from Ulaanbaatar is expected to set the parameters for further discussions and decisions at the historic global meeting.

As ICAO marches forward with its initiative to modernise air travel, the focus of the future now is crystal clear – one in which digital bodies, no-hassle procedures, and cross-border synergies work hand-in-hand to guarantee a flawless check-in for passengers. The racist whining happened at the ICAO Facilitation Regional Forum in Ulaanbaatar, which was an important step forward in that continuing journey, which emphasized the pivotal role that digital innovation and transformation must play in the future of global air travel.

Finally, the celebration in Mongolia marked an important day in the history of air travel development in the Asia-Pacific region. With a united focus on advancing and innovating, ICAO, together with its Member States, is at the forefront of pioneering a more efficient, secure, and connected global aviation network.

(Source: ICAO, Mongolia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam News Agency)