Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), proper implementation of market-based emissions measures, and turboprop and helicopter safety are topping the agenda for the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) for the upcoming International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly set to kick off later this month.
Scheduled from September 24 to October 4, the 40th gathering of the Assembly will draw participation from 193 member states, which will set priorities for the next three years. Representing the business aviation community, IBAC is bringing a delegation of representatives from at least five member associations, said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards.
The Assembly is expected to focus on global air navigation, safety, and security plans. Of priority to IBAC, Edwards said, will be the promotion of recent business aviation activities surrounding SAF. IBAC plans to stress its use as a key tool in mitigating carbon emissions and urge support for policies that would incentivize production and consumption, he said.
Along those lines, IBAC is joining broader aviation industry groups in stressing the importance of moving ahead with the Carbon Offsetting and Reductions Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) program as a global approach and avoiding double charging for emissions.
IBAC further plans to encourage ICAO to collect and share best practices on turboprop safety and helicopter air traffic management requirements to support growth in both areas. Other priorities are designed to ensure measures foster, instead of disadvantage, business aviation, he said, including a push for the assembly to proceed in a data-driven manner on supersonic noise and emissions standards. In addition, IBAC is monitoring possibilities for passenger information standards to ensure they account for differences with smaller operators.
