Happy International Civil Aviation Day 2019, readers! The day is observed to promote the importance of civil aviation in our daily lives. The International Civil Aviation Day is celebrated across the world to highlight the significance that the aviation sector has brought in the social and economic development of the countries in the world. Air travel has become a regular means of transport and trade; given the number of passengers that travel around the globe annually, i.e. more than 4 billion people, its advent has truly come as a blessing.

History and Date of International Civil Aviation Day 2019:

The International Civil Aviation Day 2019 will be celebrated on December 7 this year. It is an annual affair which is organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in different parts of the world. This year, the ICAO will be observing its 75th anniversary.

The first International Civil Aviation Day was observed in 1994, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of Convention on International Civil Aviation. The United Nations in 1996 had announced that December 7 will officially be observed as International Civil Aviation Day.

What is the Theme of International Civil Aviation Day?

Every five years, i.e. 2014, 2019, 2024, etc., the ICAO adopts a ‘special anniversary theme’ for the International Civil Aviation Day, which is then followed for the next 4 years. The current theme (for 2015-2018 period) adopted by the ICAO is ‘Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left Behind’.

What is The Significance of International Civil Aviation Day?

The purpose of the International Civil Aviation Day is to recognize the importance of aviation sector – global air travel and trade – which has brought a tremendous amount of development in the social and economic spheres across the globe. It has been building bridges across the nations enabling people to meet, connect, socialise, and reunite at their convenience.

The observance of International Civil Aviation Day is very significant as the members of ICAO come together and chart the ‘Chicago Convention’ which lays down the guidelines and regulations to share the skies of the world. Currently, the ICAO takes the aviation regulations of 193 countries into consideration.

The objective is to ensure that airports and airlines are run successfully, safely, and securely. The civil aviation sector currently sees over 10 million passengers travelling in the air in over 100,000 flights daily. The aviation sector employs over 62 million people globally, which help in generating USD 3 trillion into the global GDP.

The aviation sector has induced a huge amount of economic growth and development wherever it has stepped foot in. At the heart of ICAO, it is the spirit of the invention, innovation, and adventure that drives the aviation sector to achieve newer heights and meet desired sustainable goals, both economic and environmental.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 07, 2019 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).