Sciacchitano Takes over as ICAO President January 1, 2020
Oru Leonard
Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano, the representative of Italy has been announced as the Sixth International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council President after clinching 19 votes as against 13 votes by his closest contestant, Captain Aysha Alhameli of United Arab Emirates.
ICAO in a statement said, “The 36-member governing body of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the ICAO Council, has elected Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano of Italy as its President for a three-year term, beginning 1st January 2020.”
He succeeds Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu of Nigeria, who has held the position for two consecutive terms since 2014.
Mr. Sciacchitano’s candidacy had been endorsed by the 44 General Directors of the European Civil Aviation Conference. His election follows an accomplished 39-year career in aviation, during which he served inter alia as General Director of the Italian Airworthiness Authority (RAI), as Deputy General Director of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), and many other international positions including as Executive Secretary of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC; 2010–2018).
He has also participated in several ICAO Assemblies as Chief or Alternate Chief of the Italian Delegation to ICAO, as well as the Chief Delegate of ECAC. He had also recently been appointed to the Italian Delegation to the ICAO Council.
Mr. Sciacchitano is fluent in English, French and Italian. He graduated as a Master in telecommunicati
ICAO on its website explained that, “The Council is a permanent body of the Organization responsible to the Assembly. It is composed of 36 Member States elected by the Assembly for a three-year term. In the election, adequate representation is given to States of chief importance in air transport, States not otherwise included but which make the largest contribution to the provision of facilities for international civil air navigation and States not otherwise included whose designation will ensure that all major geographic areas of the world are represented on the Council.”
Mr. Sciacchitano will be ICAO President for a three-year term, beginning 1 January 2020.
