Indonesia Targets ICAO Council Seat in November 2026

September 12, 2026 | 02:29 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia aims to become a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council. The ICAO Council election is scheduled for November 2026.

"Indonesia was absent for about five years after the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, we are trying again, and we believe that we can become a member of the ICAO Council this year," said the President Director of AirNav Indonesia, Capt. Avirianto Suratno, after receiving a visit from the ICAO President Toshiyuki Onuma at the AirNav Indonesia headquarters in Tangerang on Friday, September 11, 2026.

Avirianto said their efforts are being strengthened through diplomacy and by garnering support from ICAO member countries. He added that the ICAO Council President's visit to Indonesia was an important opportunity to showcase the country's progress and capabilities in air navigation management.

During the visit, the ICAO Council President visited several AirNav Indonesia facilities, including the Air Traffic Management Automation System (ATMAS) at Jakarta Air Traffic Service Center (JATSC).

According to Avirianto, the facilities and modernization of the aviation navigation system carried out by AirNav Indonesia are among the assets that strengthen Indonesia's candidacy for the ICAO Council. "This is a support for the Republic of Indonesia so that we also become a member of ICAO, specifically the Council for 2026-2027," he said.

Several innovations developed by AirNav Indonesia also attracted Toshiyuki Onuma's attention during the visit. AirNav has developed various in-house systems, including the System Wide Information Management (SWIM), Trajectory Based Operation (TBO), and artificial intelligence (AI).

One example is using AI for drones to inspect runways. Zainal Arifin Harahap, the Technical Director of AirNav Indonesia, said that runway inspections that used to take about an hour can now be completed in 15 to 30 minutes with the help of drone technology.

AirNav developed the SBAS GNSS (Satellite-Based Augmentation System) application and modernized the aviation navigation system. "These various achievements can serve as an example for other countries developing air traffic management systems," said Zainal.

Zainal said the ICAO President's response to AirNav's developments was considered quite positive. "The ICAO President expressed that what we have done should be emulated by other countries," he said.

With these various accomplishments and contributions, Indonesia is optimistic about regaining the trust of ICAO member countries and becoming a member of the ICAO Council in the future.

Furthermore, Zainal said that to increase the chances of regaining membership in the ICAO Council, Indonesia is currently actively seeking support from member countries. Zainal mentioned that Indonesia has obtained support from approximately 40 African countries and 30 Asia-Pacific countries. As a result, approximately 70 to 80 countries have expressed support for Indonesia's candidacy.

"We are currently campaigning in every country to showcase our capabilities, contributions, and assistance that we can provide," he said.

Indonesia has demonstrated its commitment by contributing US$250,000 for the 2027–2028 period. Assistance will be provided in the form of in-kind aid and training to countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

Zainal said the next round of seeking support will focus on Latin American countries. The government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transportation, is scheduled to engage in diplomacy to obtain broader support.

Indonesia hopes that support from most of the 193 member countries will help it regain that position. "Hopefully, out of the total 193, the majority will already support us to sit on the ICAO Council," said Zainal.

According to Zainal, being a member of the ICAO Council provides Indonesia with strategic advantages. One benefit is the opportunity to participate directly in the decision-making process regarding international civil aviation policies.

Read: AirNav Monitors Anak Krakatau Activity, Prepares Flight Rerouting

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