ICAO’s Onuma to Open Brussels Aviation Talks as Europe Faces Rising Cost Pressures

Onuma’s participation gives particular weight to the role of shared international standards at a time of geopolitical division, with IATA arguing that aviation demonstrates the practical value of countries working under common rules.

Europe's aviation leaders and policymakers will meet in Brussels on 15 October with growing pressure to address the costs and regulations that IATA says are holding back the region's airlines. The International Air Transport Association has announced that Toshiyuki Onuma, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), will open Wings of Change Europe (WOCE), bringing an international perspective to discussions about Europe's competitiveness and air connections. The conference will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brussels City Hotel, placing the debate in the centre of European policymaking.

Global Standards Meet Europe's Cost Challenge

Onuma's participation gives particular weight to the role of shared international standards at a time of geopolitical division, with IATA arguing that aviation demonstrates the practical value of countries working under common rules. Thomas Reynaert, IATA's Senior Vice President External Affairs, said the ICAO Council President's presence would reinforce the importance of global approaches for a competitive and connected Europe, where decisions about aviation influence economic opportunities far beyond airlines and airports.

Reynaert warned that heavy regulation and high costs threaten the jobs, growth and prosperity supported by air transport, describing a difficult investment environment for European carriers operating on thin margins. He acknowledged that intense airline competition benefits passengers, pointing to high oil prices as another pressure that could restrict spending on expanded connectivity. IATA presents WOCE as an opportunity for governments, industry leaders and international institutions to develop a regulatory agenda that supports a more efficient, competitive and sustainable European aviation sector.

Passenger Rights and Competitiveness Shape the Debate

Panel discussions and presentations will examine the challenging geopolitical landscape, Europe's economic outlook and aviation's contribution to the region, giving delegates a broad picture of the pressures behind individual policy decisions. Competitiveness will receive attention through a review of the Draghi report two years on, with the programme covering upcoming EU priorities, passenger rights, airport legislation and safety issues. These subjects bring the debate closer to the concerns of travellers and businesses, from the rules governing their journeys to the conditions affecting future air services.

The confirmed political and regulatory speakers include Filip Cornelis, Director for Aviation at the European Commission's DG MOVE; Magda Kopczynska, DG MOVE Director-General; and Eddy Liégeois, Head of its Aviation Policy Unit. Dominik Piotrowski, Acting Head of Unit for Social Aspects, Passenger Rights & Equality at DG MOVE, will participate alongside Belgium's Minister of Mobility, Climate, and Ecological Transition, Jean-Luc Crucke, and Georgia's Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Tamar Ioseliani.

Airline and Airport Leaders Bring Business Perspectives

The industry lineup brings together executives responsible for passenger airlines, major airports and cargo operations, adding operational experience to discussions about European policy. Confirmed speakers include Selahattin Bilgen, CEO of Istanbul Grand Airport (iGA); Peter Gerber, CEO of Condor; Samer Majali, Vice Chairman and Board Designee CEO of Royal Jordanian; Pieter van Oord, President and CEO of Royal Schiphol Group; and Wouter Roels, President Europe at FedEx. Florian Guillermet, Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will contribute the agency's safety perspective.

Brussels will host several consecutive days of aviation discussions, with WOCE following the IATA World Sustainability Symposium on 13–14 October at the same hotel. The scheduling brings sustainability and the wider regulatory debate into the same week, offering participants an opportunity to consider aviation's environmental responsibilities alongside the financial pressures and policy choices shaping its future.