Over 400 stakeholders will gather at the first training symposium to develop solutions for the world's fastest-growing aviation market.
Singapore and Montreal, July 23, 2025 – The critical aviation skills shortages across the Asia-Pacific region threaten the sustainable growth of the world's fastest growing aviation market, urging the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to commence coordinated regional responses through ICAO's ICAO Asia Asia Asia Asia Regional Training Sympium.
The two-day symposium was officially opened in Singapore on 16th July 2025 by Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of Transport and National Development of Singapore, and Juan Carlos Salazar, Executive Director of ICAO.
“The Singapore partnership with ICAO to provide this symposium has allowed us to bring together the aviation community in the Asia-Pacific region to address the shared training challenges and opportunities,” said Juan Carlos Salazar, Executive Director of ICAO. “Through strengthened regional cooperation and innovative capacity building initiatives like the Next Generation Aviation Professional Scholarship Program, we are building the skilled workforce that aviation needs for a sustainable future.
“Singapore strongly believes in investing in the next generation of aviation professionals and developing young talent,” said Han Kok Huang, Director of CAAS. “We are honored to work with international civil aviation agencies to hold the first ever regional training symposium. We are involving local youths during this high-level Aviation Week with government and industry leaders, hoping to be encouraged to contribute to aviation in their respective countries.”
The symposium is a key initiative under the ICAO Asia-Pacific Regional Training Cooperation Framework (RTCF) and was established in 2024 to strengthen cooperation between the Asia-Pacific Civil Aviation Training Academy and industry. “Strengthening Training Cooperation: Building Human Capital for Sustainable Development of Civil Aviation” This symposium serves as a strategic platform for stakeholders to bring together, nurture partnerships, explore innovative approaches to aviation training, and bridge the longstanding gaps in regional stakeholder collaboration.
Over the course of two days, industry experts and stakeholders, consisting of aviation leaders, academics, training experts, human practitioners, industry partners and young people, came together to tailor the training programmes to meet the needs of new industry, strengthen policies to better support the aviation workforce, and implement target solutions to fill regional skills gaps. The symposium also featured cutting-edge advances in aviation training, including the adoption of artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and advanced simulation techniques to enhance the effectiveness of operational training and training.
Training the next generation of aviation experts
Asia Pacific Training Award
Singapore has updated its Developing Countries Training Programme (DCTP) in Aikhao, Singapore, to help develop the next generation of aviation professionals. First established in 2001, Singapore ICAO DCTP has been continuously expanded and updated over the years to provide training fellowships and scholarships at the Singapore Airlines Academy (SAA). Additionally, CAAS has launched the Asia Pacific Training Award, a new capacity building programme that will provide 120 training awards to government officials of the Asian Aviation Aviation Authority for Singapore to participate in training courses at SAA over the next three years.
Singapore-Ico is the Next Generation Aviation Professional Scholarship Program
Ten young and promising aviation experts from around the world have also received scholarship certificates for Singapore-ICAO's Next Generation Aviation Expert (NGAP) Scholarship Program. Ten young aviation experts – nominated for each country and selected by the assessment panel – are the first batch of academics appointed under the programme, participating in the SAA-run NGAP Aviation Foundation programme, covering topics such as aeronautics technology and innovation, human capital development, aviation safety, sustainability, and international collaboration. This is followed by a two-week training attachment using CAAS. These scholars will return to Singapore the following year to complete the remaining components of the program.
Launched in 2024, the Singapore-ICAO NGAP Scholarship Program was established for young aviation professionals under the age of 35 and provided a broad perspective on key aviation topics. Between 2025 and 2027, a new cohort of academics will be selected annually for the six-week program in Singapore, consisting of training in SAA attachments, to be completed within three years. Each scholar is also personally tutored by senior SAA fellows.
Asia Pacific Organizations for Aviation Programs
To support ICAO's NGAP initiative and encourage young people to pursue a career in aviation, Singapore hosted the first ever Asia-Pacific Aviation Programme. From July 14th to 18th, 2025, 37 young people from 19 states in the Asia-Pacific region, ages 19 to 28, participated in an immersive learning journey, collaborating with aviation experts, and participated in a youth dialogue session with ICAO Director General General Salazar and Director General of CAAS Juan. Young people were selected by the civil aviation authorities of their respective countries based on their demonstrated interest in aviation. The program will help young people gain a wider awareness of the challenges and opportunities that the local aviation sector has diverse career paths and future opportunities.
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The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and its 193 member states develop and implement global aviation strategies, technical standards and capacity building activities to enhance the safety, sustainability and inclusiveness of aviation services around the world. ICAO's mission is to advance towards aviation aviation deaths and net zero carbon emissions, while expanding access to air transport. This year, the organization is celebrating its 80th anniversary.
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