On the morning of October 30, the International Civil Aviation Forum 2025 with the theme of “Connecting the World, Pursuing Smart Development”opened on the Xuhui Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Hosted by the Institute of International Civil Aviation (IICA) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the forum drew more than 300 participants, including government representatives from the aviation sector of nearly 20 countries and regions, officials of international organizations, corporate delegates, as well as experts and scholars from universities and research institutions.

Yang Zhenbin, Party Secretary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and He Dongfeng, Chairman of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC), delivered addresses at the opening ceremony. Zhang Junping, Director of the East China Regional Administration of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and Bai Wenli, Deputy Director‑General of the International Department of CAAC, also attended the opening ceremony.

Liu Fang, Forum Chair, Member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and former Secretary‑General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), presided over the opening ceremony.

During the plenary session, Pascal Luciani, Deputy Director of the Air Navigation Bureau of ICAO; Kim McAuley, Senior Vice‑President and Chief Information & Data Officer of the International Air Transport Association (IATA); and Guan Haibing, Vice‑President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Director of the High‑Performance Computing Technical Committee under the China Computer Federation, gave keynote speeches respectively. They shared innovative achievements of the global civil aviation industry and exchanged suggestions and prospects for future development from their respective fields.

Kamla Phommavanh, Director‑General of the Department of Civil Aviation of Laos; Norazman bin Mohamad, Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia; Chris O. Nnajiofor, Director‑General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority; Popey Khoza, Director‑General of the South African Civil Aviation Authority; and Ng Chee Chiu, Deputy Director‑General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, took part in a panel discussion. They talked about the contributions and impacts of AI‑driven technological innovation on the transformation and upgrading of the global aviation industry, and shared national and regional civil‑aviation policy measures as well as in‑depth reflections on future opportunities and challenges.

Two sub‑forums entitled “Connecting the World” and “Pursuing Smart Development” were held alongside the main forum. Participants discussed cutting‑edge industry topics including how to leverage innovative technologies to enhance global civil‑aviation infrastructure development and the formulation and implementation of standards and rules for better global civil‑aviation connectivity; how to improve operational efficiency and accelerate digital transformation with big data, artificial intelligence and other innovative technologies; and key areas for strengthened international exchanges and cooperation to achieve common development.

The Institute of International Civil Aviation (IICA) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University was jointly founded in 2024 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and COMAC under the guidance of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, in response to national strategies for building a strong transportation country and a strong manufacturing country. Since its establishment, IICA has advanced various initiatives covering international exchanges, academic programmes, degree education, research projects and special‑topic training. It is committed to cultivating high‑level interdisciplinary civil‑aviation management talents with outstanding leadership and global vision and building a world‑class think‑tank brand for international civil aviation. Starting from 2024, the Institute hosts the annual International Civil Aviation Forum to keep track of global aviation‑industry developments and digital‑intelligent trends. It serves as a high‑level cross‑border and cross‑regional platform for global civil‑aviation practitioners to exchange and cooperate, contributing insights to improve the global civil‑aviation industrial ecosystem and explore future development pathways.

Contributor: Institute of International Civil Aviation (IICA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Source: Antai College of Economics and Management

Editor: Xue Xiangyi