THE POSTAL HISTORY OF ICAO

 

ICCAIA – International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations

 

The International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA) was formally established in 1972 as the international organization of aerospace industry associations whose membership is involved in the design, development, test, and manufacturing of aircraft, space systems and subsystems, together with the present leading edge of aerospace sciences, arts and technologies. The ICCAIA provides its members with an opportunity to meet and have open discussions concerning international aeronautical and aerospace issues.

 

The principal objectives of the ICCAIA are

  1. To promote internationally the technological advancements that assure and foster the advancement of economical and safe civil aviation transport and space systems; and
  2. To contribute to significant improvements in the areas that benefit the economic security of the international aviation community.

 

Most of the work conducted by ICCAIA is done by four technical committees (i.e., Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management; Aircraft Noise and Engine Emissions Committee; Airworthiness Committee; Security Committee) composed of staff from the member associations, as well as from companies in member countries. The ICCAIA Council meets at least once a year, and members are generally represented by the Chief Executive Officer of each Association.

 

 

ICCAIA Emblem

Originally, ICCAIA was constituted by the Aerospace Industries Association of America (AIA, founded in 1919) and the Association Européenne des Constructeurs de Matériel Aérospatial (AECMA). Note that the AECMA, the European Defence Industries Group (EDIG, founded in 1976) and EUROSPACE (founded in 1961) merged in 2004 to form the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe, (ASD). The two founding associations of ICCAIA, i.e., AIA and ASD, serve as Chair of ICCAIA alternating every two years.

 

In 2013, ICCAIA represented the aircraft manufacturing associations from Brazil, Canada, Europe, Japan, and the United States and its membership included the following Associations: the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), the Aerospace Industries Association of America (AIA), the Aerospace Industries Association of Brazil (AIAB), the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC), and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC). The Union of Aviation Industrialists (UAI, in Russia) was accepted as an observer to the ICCAIA.

 

ICCAIA is recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and is granted observer status on many of the ICAO’s Committees and Panels, including the ICAO Air Navigation Commission (ANC). ICCAIA also participates actively in many international meetings.

 

Service cover sent by the Director General of Civil Aviation in India to the

Aerospace Industries Association of America – Postmark dated 14 June 1961.

One of the stamps commemorates the 50th anniversary of the first official mail

carried by airplane in India in 1911.

On their short flights, many pioneer pilots carried Unofficial mail, which refers to mail carried privately and postmarked before or after the flight, while the post office authorized and serviced Official mail. On 18 February 1911, French pilot Henri Pequet carried the first official mail flown by airplane. The flight occurred in India. Pequet carried a mailbag with approximately 6,500 cards and letters on his Sommer biplane. The plane flew a distance of five miles, from the United Provinces (U.P.) Exhibition at Allahabad to Naini. All mail received a special cancel depicting a biplane in flight over the mountains of Asia, and “FIRST AERIAL POST, 1911, U. P. EXHIBITION ALLAHABAD.”

 

Service cover sent from AIA (Aerospace Industries Association of America) headquarters in Arlington, the USA  to ICAO - Postmarked on 14 November 2013.

 

Service cover sent from ASD (AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe)

headquarters in Belgium to ICAO - Postmarked on 16 November 2013.

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