PR-2323
September 1, 2023
GCTF International Workshop on Sustainable Aviation System: Safe, Green, and Innovative
On August 29-30, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC), the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA), and the Australian Office Taipei, hosted the “2023 GCTF International Workshop on Sustainable Aviation System: safe, green, and innovative.”
Held in Taipei, this two-day GCTF workshop focused on sustainable development of aviation system safety, environmental protection, and innovation. Officials from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Office of Transportation Policy, as well as scholars, experts, and civil aviation industry representatives from Taiwan, Japan, and Australia shared their experiences and best practices. This workshop included 35 international participants from 25 countries and more than 75 local professionals from the aviation industry in Taiwan.
Notably, this was the first in-person GCTF workshop focused on aviation since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the nature of the pandemic, the global aviation industry’s core business was severely affected by worldwide restrictions on travel and airport shutdowns. Following the global recovery from the pandemic, Taiwan reopened its borders October 2022, and its civil aviation industry has gradually recovered. “The volume of air travel and cargo is increasing significantly, and it is expected to reach 70% of what Taiwan used to have in October before the pandemic,” Taiwan Transportation and Communications Minister Kwo-tsai Wang remarked in the opening ceremony.
The workshop sessions discussed the safety, efficiency, security, and challenges in the aviation industry post pandemic. Participants and speakers also discussed aviation-related environmental protection and innovation during the Q&A sessions.
AIT, Taiwan MOFA, JTEA, and the Australian Office Taipei jointly administer the GCTF program, which is a capacity building platform for Taiwan to share its expertise in tackling issues of global concern.