Taiwan's ICAO Exclusion A Danger To Global Aviation

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In 2024, the Taipei FIR provided services to nearly 1.64 million flights carrying millions of travelers entering, leaving or transiting through Taiwan. Taiwan is a major air transportation hub linking Asia, Europe and North America. That's why it's crucial for Taiwan to join the ICAO.
Taiwan's civil aviation authorities have full responsibility for administering the Taipei FIR. But Taiwan is forced to obtain updated standards and other ICAO information indirectly through other nations, nongovernmental organizations, neighboring FIRs, and private companies, a complicated and needlessly time-consuming process.

This situation impacts Taiwan's ability to smoothly implement the latest Standards and Recommended Practices (SARP). It also means that Taiwan must spend more time, money and effort than ICAO members on improving aviation safety and security.
Aviation safety in Taiwan is in the best interests of both US economic and civil activity. There are 30-plus airlines that offer direct flights between the US and Taiwan.

In 2024, a record-breaking 651,264 Americans traveled to Taiwan, this figure represents a 7.6% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to the Taiwan Tourism Administration.

Furthermore, every week, there are over 92 weekly flights from Tokyo to Taipei, 72 direct flights per week from Seoul to Taipei and 24 airlines that fly from China to Taiwan. Not being a member of ICAO, Taiwan sometimes doesn't even have access to its technical information.
As a key international transport hub, Taiwanese airspace is critically important to the global community. Allowing Taiwan to participate in ICAO will ensure that it has access to the technical information it needs to continue to conform its civil aviation practices to evolving international safety standards.

According to the resolutions adopted by the previous ICAO Assembly, important and closely related issues to be discussed at the 42nd Assembly-including safety, navigation services, security, environmental protection, and economic matters-require close cooperation among countries.

This underlines the need for Taiwan to attend the ICAO Assembly regularly, enabling it to keep up-to-date with important matters and assist the Assembly in ensuring the safe, secure and sustainable development of international civil aviation.
Taiwan's role in global aviation is too important to ignore, and the time has come to allow its elected government to observe the assembly. That will ensure that it has access to the technical information it needs to conform its civil aviation practices to evolving international safety standards.