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International Civil Aviation Day is not very popular among those outside the aviation industry. But like all International Day celebrations, it is a day set aside to inform the public by creating an awareness of the challenges faced by the aviation industry and to mobilize political will towards resolving it. Its observance is to show people that the concerns of the sector are global issues that affect us all and it is celebrated annually on December 7th.
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The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was created on 7th of December 1944. The organization comes up with laws and international standards that have been agreed upon to allow countries to operate safe, secure and efficient airlines. The ICAO regulates the aviation industry of about 193 countries worldwide. With millions of global flights per year, carbon emissions also need to be monitored and ICAO is working on a carbon-neutral future for international flights. ICAO continues to unite aviation industries through goals and strategic targets set to ensure progress globally. The observance of the International Civil Aviation Day began in 1994 as part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of the ICAO. In 1996, December 7th was officially recognized by the United Nations as International Civil Aviation Day, the day to discuss the impact of the aviation industry in the world. Since people began to use flights, connecting with the world has been made easier. With people travelling around the world in less than 24 hours, the tourism industry grew exponentially thereby creating jobs for millions across the globe. This year, the industry faced a downtime like no other as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which shut down the industry for several months.
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The themes for the observance of the International Civil Aviation Day are usually chosen for a four-year period. That is why this year’s theme does not reflect what is currently happening in the world’s aviation industry. The 2020 Theme, Advancing Innovation and for Global Aviation Development, was chosen in 2019 and it would run till 2023. In Nigeria, the aviation industry is still the fastest and safest way to travel. It has made business, communication and tourism much easier. But the Nigerian Aviation Industry has not been without its setbacks since it commenced operations 74 years ago. With power failures and mismanagement of the aviation printing sector, we aren’t yet at the global standard we need to be as a nation. During the heat of the pandemic, while the international airport in Doha, Qatar, went fully automated with almost zero person-to-person contact operations, Nigeria was still manually sanitizing her airports. We need more innovation and technological dependence in our aviation industry to be rated among the best of the bests in the world. There are a number of ways we can encourage the industry. One way is to invest in the sector by buying airline shares. Banks should work on giving out more loans and reducing the interest rate on the loans given to key players in the aviation industry. The government should reactivate our National Carrier, Nigeria Airways, and keep it operational. If everyone else plays their part in sustaining the aviation industry, Nigeria will generate enough funds to meet the global benchmarks set by the ICAO.   Featured Image Source: Time Bulletin
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This article was first published on 7th December 2020 and updated on December 14th, 2020 at 4:35 pm

ann

Ann Esievoadje is a freelance writer who is passionate about encouraging a reading culture and personal development. She has authored two books, The Quilt (fiction) and Being Mummy and Me (non-fiction). She manages Pulchra Publishing which offers a content creation/editing, transcription, different forms of writing (including Ghostwriting) service and her blog, Life Love and Anything Goes at annesievoadje.blogspot.com.ng. You can reach her at annesievoadje@gmail.com


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