ICAO leaders welcome G-20 calls for global response to COVID-19

ICAO's Council President and Secretary General welcomed the G20 leaders' statement on COVID-19 today, including its underscoring of how this unprecedented pandemic serves as "a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness and vulnerabilities."

"From the standpoints of travel and trade, global interconnectedness relies significantly on the unmatched speed and reliability of international civil aviation," noted ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano.

"I was encouraged to see the strong financial commitments the G20 has now established to aid in the global recovery from COVID-19, and that the sectors most gravely impacted by current pandemic mitigation measures will be prioritized going forward.International air transport is clearly suffering very acutely as personal and global mobility continues to be curtailed, and in light of its instrumental role in worldwide response in times of crisis I am greatly encouraged that relief may soon be on the way."

ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, applauded the G20 statement's highlighting of the need for "bold and large-scale fiscal support," and the hope that "the magnitude and scope of this response will get the global economy back on its feet and set a strong basis for the protection of jobs and the recovery of growth."

"Aviation connectivity is critical to successful global recovery from COVID-19," she said, "and especially with respect to ensuring the flow of vital medical supplies, critical agricultural products, and other goods and services across borders, as well as resolving disruptions to global supply chains.

The G20 leaders have specifically stressed the need to address these capabilities urgently, and ICAO has already begun to answer its calls to facilitate the return to normalized international trade on a coordinated and cooperative basis."

The two leaders also reiterated that ICAO joins the G20 Leaders' Summit in standing ready to take any action necessary and to continue to work on the basis of solidarity and effective international cooperation with the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international and industry organizations.