Taiwan belongs at civil aviation conference in Montreal

Taiwan has not received an invitation to this year’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assembly to be held in Montreal. The decision not to invite Taiwan is a mistake because it is detrimental to the interest of the international community and the goal of “a seamless sky” advocated by ICAO.

Taiwan needs to be part of ICAO because of its indispensable role in global aviation safety. Every year, 1.53 million aircraft and 58 million travellers pass through the Taipei Flight Information Region, which covers 180,000 square nautical miles. In 2015, Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport ranked 11th in the world in passenger volume and sixth for cargo, according to the most recent statistics from Airports Council International. Seventy-four airlines operate passenger and cargo flights in and out of Taiwan, following 301 scheduled passenger and freight routes that connect the country to 135 cities globally.

Being able to respond to any major changes in international civil aviation policies in a timely manner is crucial to aviation security. That said, in order to obtain the first-hand updates of standards, data-sharing, and security audits, Taiwan needs to be involved in ICAO.

Taiwan can also help contribute to regional and global aviation safety by sharing its advanced aviation technologies with other members.

I sincerely hope that Canada, the host country of the ICAO, remains committed to supporting Taiwan’s endeavours to help protect the sky. Tom Chih-Chiang Lee, director-general, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver