ICAO Security Week 2026 opened today at the Independence Palace in Astana. It is held under ICAO auspices, with support from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport. The opening ceremony was attended by Kazakhstan’s Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev and ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar . “The development of civil aviation requires international cooperation and the exchange of experience. We are consistently expanding our international route network. We firmly believe in the future of the aviation industry, which is currently experiencing a period of rapid growth, having expanded sixfold over the past six years. I wish all participants productive discussions, valuable exchanges of ideas, and a successful ICAO Aviation Security Week 2026,” said Minister Sauranbayev. “We must eliminate all acts of unlawful interference in civil aviation and the fatalities they can cause,” said ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar in his opening remarks. He reiterated, “We will strengthen every layer of security and share intelligence among other critical information, ensuring States work together to protect every flight.” The opening day also featured a Partnership and Commitment Ceremony. During the ceremony, the United States of America announced a pledge in support of the ICAO Aviation Security Programme, and ICAO signed a Management Service Agreement with Astana Airport. Aviation Security Week brought together representatives from the aviation authorities of 62 countries, as well as delegates from regulatory bodies, international organizations, airports, airlines, and the expert community from Brazil, Hungary, Italy, Canada, the UAE, Portugal, the United States, Thailand, France, Ethiopia, and others. Speakers include senior officials from Transport Canada, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, the Singapore Ministry of Transport, the African and Latin American Civil Aviation Commissions, the ICAO Council and Secretariat, national authorities across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Over three days, high-level sessions will address the global state of aviation security 25 years on, air cargo and mail security in the e-commerce era, and flight operations over or near conflict zones. Other sessions cover aviation cybersecurity, turning audit findings into lasting capability, the Global Aviation Security Plan, sustaining security modernization, and the security workforce. Side events will focus on: countering the misuse of unmanned aircraft systems, organized jointly by ICAO, UNCTED and UNOCT, women in aviation security, the new ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) AVSEC Strategy. Oman, host of the December 2024 event, presented Kazakhstan with a symbolic handover statuette during the opening ceremony. Hosting the event underscores Kazakhstan’s growing role as an active contributor to the development of global civil aviation security.