American Institute in Taiwan

PR-2224
October 1, 2022

2022 GCTF Workshop on Building a Sustainable Aviation System

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) co-hosted a hybrid in-person/virtual GCTF workshop on building a sustainable aviation system on September 30 with the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA), and the Australian Office Taipei.

Held in Montreal during the 41^st Triennial Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), this GCTF event focused on improving the environmental sustainability of the commercial aviation industry while ensuring the highest safety standards. This is the first GCTF program on the margins of the ICAO Assembly and followed U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s call for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in ICAO during his speech at the Assembly on September 27.

AIT/Washington Managing Director Ingrid Larson and U.S. Mission to ICAO Chargé d’Affaires Brent Christensen provided opening remarks, along with representatives from Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. Both commended Taiwan for its significant contributions to civil aviation.

Ms. Larson commented that “it’s safe to say that Taiwan’s impact on civil aviation is outsized:  Taiwan has a population of fewer than 24 million people but boasts two world-class airlines and the fourth-busiest airport in the world for international air cargo.” Mr. Christensen noted that “Taiwan is managing one of the most active Flight Information Regions in the world, and it is developing some of the most innovative solutions for handling remotely piloted vehicles, cybersecurity and air cargo logistics.”

Experts from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration, China Airlines, and EVA Airways provided substantive presentations on topics related to safety and sustainability in commercial aviation.

AIT, Taiwan MOFA, JTEA, and the Australian Office Taipei jointly administer the GCTF, which is a capacity building platform for Taiwan to bring its expertise to bear in tackling issues of global concern.