Doha, 12-17 April 2025 — On 12-13 April, the Intersessional ICAO Facilitation Panel, meeting in Doha, addressed recent facilitation developments. These included updates from ICAO working groups on the review of Annex 9, assistance to air accident victims and their families, and accessibility in international aviation.
Discussions also covered machine-readable travel documents and progress on the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD). The Panel agreed on final steps to update the Facilitation Handbook, Doc 9957 (2nd Edition), which is expected to be ready for endorsement at the next Panel meeting (FALP/14) in December 2025.
From 14 to 17 April, the ICAO Facilitation Conference, under the theme “Collaboration, efficiency, and inclusivity”, brought together over 1000 delegates, comprising ministers and senior government officials, ECAC President, Alessio Quaranta (Italy), ECAC Focal Point for Facilitation, David Benito (Spain) and ECAC Executive Secretary, Patricia Reverdy. Ms Reverdy participated alongside fellow experts in the panel session exploring means for establishing stronger and more efficient international collaboration under facilitation.
After four days of panel sessions on key facilitation topics such as international cooperation and collaboration, irregular migration and human trafficking, the passenger experience, and air cargo processes, the Conference concluded on 17 April with the adoption of the Doha Declaration on the Facilitation of International Air Transport, providing policy direction on these issues.