Pretoria – South Africa has been re-elected to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Governing Council at the 42nd General Assembly currently taking place in Montréal, Canada.
The election vote took place on Saturday, 27 September 2025, and South Africa was re-elected in Part II of the General Council, which is a category where member States receive higher representation at global forums that deal with civil aviation.
Commenting on the achievement, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, who is leading the South African delegation, said on Sunday, 28 September 2025: “The re-election result reaffirms the mandate that South Africa has held since 2003 and demonstrates the confidence of Member States in the Republic and its ongoing contribution in shaping the global aviation agenda”.
The delegation includes the technical and legal experts from the South African Civil Aviation Authority, Airports Company South Africa, Air Traffic and Navigation Services, the Departments of Transport and Home Affairs, as well as representatives from the South African National Space Agency and the South African Weather Services.
Minister Creecy added: “The re-election also reaffirms South Africa’s instrumental role in advancing ICAO’s agenda on safety, security, sustainability, and environmental matters, while ensuring that the African continent’s priorities remain firmly on the global stage.”
Creecy said that the role and leadership of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), the African Union’s specialised civil aviation agency, needed to be acknowledged as it was instrumental in placing Africa’s aviation priorities at the centre of ICAO’s agenda.
Africa had put forward candidates in both Part II and Part III of the ICAO Council elections, with Part III signifying an equitable geographic representation for the Continent, with the Part III elections to take place at a later stage.
Apart from South Africa, two other African states – Egypt and Nigeria – were elected in Part II of the General Council.
The ICAO’s 42nd Assembly is being held under the theme “Safe Skies, Sustainable Future”, focusing on ICAO’s strategic goals of ensuring safe and secure flights, advancing environmental sustainability, and enabling seamless, accessible, and efficient air transport.
