When Politics Endanger The Skies, Everyone Is Affected

(MENAFN- Caribbean News Global)

• • The urgent need for Taiwan's entry into ICAO

By Director General Charles Chou

Every day, millions of passengers take to the skies, in our modern, interconnected web of aviation. Responsible for the safety protocols and broad organisation of aviation regulation is the 'International Civil Aviation Organization', dubbed ICAO, a United Nations entity. But, there is a glaring hole in this safety net: Taiwan, one of the world's busiest aviation hubs, is unfairly excluded from ICAO's decision-making, for political reasons that have nothing to do with aviation. Beginning this September 23rd, ICAO holds the 42nd Assembly in Montreal. It is of utmost importance to fix this dangerous blind spot.

Taiwan's Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) sits at a vital crossroads in East Asia, connecting flights between Northeast and Southeast Asia. In 2024 alone, Taiwan's air traffic controllers safely managed millions of flights and passengers across 18 international and four domestic routes. Indeed, Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) has built a pristine safety reputation. Taiwanese airline companies are consistently ranked among the safest airlines in the world, with Taiwan achieving zero major accidents per million departures in the five years between 2020 – 2024. These accomplishments match (or exceed) ICAO's own rigorous safety benchmarks.

Yet, despite consistent performance, Taiwan has no direct access to ICAO's critical information. Taiwan's aviation specialists need to instead rely on secondhand reports to learn about new safety protocols or technical standards. In an era when aviation faces unprecedented challenges, from climate change and cyber threats to geopolitical conflict, this is not just unfair but poses significant danger.

Perhaps no clearer example of this particular conflict between politics and safety exists than in the PRC's persistent desire to exclude Taiwan while simultaneously creating risks within the Taipei FIR. Beijing blocks Taiwan's participation in ICAO, even though China has repeatedly taken reckless actions inside the Taipei FIR.

In recent years, China has made provocative moves, including staging military exercises without the required advance notice, violating ICAO norms and putting nearby civilian flights at risk. When the very country obstructing Taiwan's entry into ICAO is also creating hazards, ICAO's credibility suffers. Aviation safety cannot and must not morph into a tool of geopolitical leverage. No pilot or passenger should be endangered because a critical voice in the global aviation web was excluded from the conversation.

This year's ICAO Assembly theme,“Safe Skies, Sustainable Future,” will aim to highlight concepts of inclusion and collaboration, of which Taiwan embodies both. Allowing Taiwan to participate fully in the technical meetings, training, and direct communication will greatly improve global safety and sustainability. Excluding Taiwan undermines ICAO's own“No One Left Behind” initiative and leaves a blind spot in one of the world's most heavily trafficked regions. Just as storms, volcanic ash, and GPS interference don't stop at political boundaries, neither should ICAO's commitment to protecting passengers.

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