Óscar Puente calls for coordination of the necessary measures to guarantee airspace safety in conflict zones

The Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, during his speech at the 42nd ICAO Assembly

The Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, has defended the importance of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in guaranteeing security in airspace, especially in places where there is armed conflict. In this context, he said that it is "essential" for this body to coordinate the necessary measures to avoid or mitigate accidents and casualties in these areas.

"The use of weapons against civilian aircraft, the launching of ballistic missiles, interference with satellite positioning systems, and inadequate civil-military coordination put civil aviation at serious risk. We cannot tolerate these actions and we strongly condemn them," the minister stressed at the opening of the 42nd ICAO Assembly, which is being held in Montreal (Canada) from 23 September to 3 October 2025.

During his intervention within the framework of Spain's institutional declaration, Puente also stressed "the importance of providing adequate assistance" to victims and relatives of tragedies in the airspace of places where there is armed conflict.

Spain's commitment to ICAO

Puente reaffirmed Spain's commitment to ICAO and to multilateralism. "We are convinced that together, and only together, can we meet the important challenges of international civil aviation," he remarked.

ICAO is the UN's specialised civil aviation agency established in 1944 with the objective of making civil aviation operationally safe, efficient, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible. The rules that states subsequently incorporate into their legal system derive from the international regulations approved in ICAO.

According to Puente, this rules-based multilateral system "has allowed for the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation", and "is the only effective way for dialogue between countries and for addressing global challenges", adding that "we must not give in to the questioning of the international multilateral order. We have a duty to preserve it and to continue to develop it".

He reiterated Spain's support for ICAO "to continue leading the safe and sustainable development of aviation, as it has been doing for the past 80 years".

Decarbonisation and international aviation challenges

He particularly highlighted the organisation's Strategic Plan "to guide international aviation in the coming decades and to address the major challenges it faces", including safety improvement, air traffic growth and decarbonisation.

In relation to the sector's decarbonisation, the minister highlighted the organisation's work to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, recalling the approval of the global framework to achieve the intermediate target of a 5% reduction by 2030 through the use of sustainable fuels and other clean energies, as well as the development of new technologies and the optimisation of aviation operations.

However, the minister stressed that it is not only necessary to combat global warming, but also to assess the impact of these phenomena on the safety of civil aviation, and to improve the resilience of transport systems.

42nd ICAO General Assembly

To conclude, Puente expressed his intention to continue working to defend the objectives of the organisation and to tackle future challenges through the numerous international cooperation programmes and Spain's representation on the ICAO Council, which he hopes to revalidate at this 42nd General Assembly.

Spain has been a permanent member of the ICAO Council since 1951 and aspires to be re-elected in the elections that are going to take place during the 42nd Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). It brings together representatives of its 193 member states and numerous international aeronautical organisations.

In addition to electing the new composition of the council, the organisation's permanent body for which Spain is once again presenting its candidacy, the assembly's main objective is to establish the policies and work programme for the next three-year period 2025-2028 in the technical, legal, economic, environmental and international cooperation fields.

The minister heads the Spanish delegation, accompanied by the secretary general of Air and Maritime Transport, the director general of Civil Aviation and the director of the State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA). Spain's participation in the 42nd Assembly reflects the commitment to continue contributing to ICAO's objectives for safer, more efficient, connected and sustainable aviation, in line with the current challenges of the sector.

Prior to the ICAO plenary session, the minister attended the presentation of the Edward Warner Award to the Federation of Aircraft Accident Victims and their Families (FIVAAF), in recognition of its role in defending and promoting dignified and effective assistance for all victims and their families. The award, named after the first President of the ICAO Council, was collected by Pilar Vera Palmés, the current president of the federation.

Non official translation