ith Asia-Pacific aviation markets projected to dominate global growth over the next two decades, security threats that continue to evolve, and increasing passenger expectations for streamlined experiences, the upcoming ICAO Facilitation Regional Forum will ensure coordinated orientation of a strategic pivot towards digitally-enabled border processing in the region that could also fundamentally reshape the global aviation ecosystem. The event, that is taking place from 7-8 July 2025 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, will address critical operational challenges facing the world’s fastest-growing aviation region.

Why Mongolia, why now?

The choice of Mongolia as host nation was both symbolic and strategic. As the country celebrates its centenary of civil aviation development, it provides an ideal backdrop for examining how far the industry has evolved and where it needs to go next. Mongolia’s position at the crossroads of major Asia-Pacific aviation markets makes it a natural convening point for discussions that will impact billions of passengers across the region and beyond.

The timing reflects deliberate strategic planning. Following ICAO’s 2024 Year of Facilitation and preceding the critical 42nd ICAO Assembly, this forum offers a significant opportunity for regional stakeholders to align on priorities before presenting unified recommendations to the global aviation community. The 75th anniversary of Annex 9 – Facilitation adds historical significance to discussions about modernizing these foundational standards.

The leadership imperative: From compliance to strategic advantage

For aviation leaders and government officials, the forum’s agenda reveals several strategic imperatives driven by concrete operational pressures. The emphasis on “enhancing passenger experience through digitalization and interoperability” reflects market realities: many Asia-Pacific airports already operate at or near capacity, while passenger volumes continue growing rapidly. Traditional solutions like the building of additional terminals or hiring of more staff, no longer meet needs and expectations from cost and environmental perspectives.

Digital facilitation technologies offer a viable alternative for scaling operations. Machine-readable travel documents, automated border control systems, and integrated passenger data platforms can process higher volumes while reducing processing times. The forum’s focus on these technologies responds to demonstrated needs across the region’s aviation hubs.

Stakeholder onvergence: Breaking down organizational silos

The forum’s parcticipant roster spans Directors General and deputies from civil aviation authorities, passport issuing offices, civil registry authorities, aviation security agencies, border control and law enforcement, customs officials, aircraft operators, airport authorities, and other critical stakeholders. These participants can address a fundamental operational challenge: fragmented processes across multiple agencies that create passenger friction and operational inefficiencies.

Current border processing often requires passengers to interact separately with immigration, customs, security, and health authorities, each operating independent systems with minimal data sharing. This creates redundant checks, multiple form submissions, and unpredictable wait times. Airlines and airports absorb costs from delayed departures, extended ground times, and customer service complaints resulting from these inefficiencies.

The forum’s structure, particularly its focus on “single window approaches” and “national coordination,” addresses these integration challenges directly. Countries implementing coordinated approaches, have demonstrated measurable improvements in processing times and passenger satisfaction scores.

Technology as a strategic enabler

The agenda’s emphasis on artificial intelligence, automation, and innovation in border processing responds to specific capability gaps identified across the region. Many countries still rely on manual document verification processes that create bottlenecks during peak travel periods and require extensive specialist knowledge to complete comprehensively and accurately. The discussion of machine-readable travel documents (MRTDs), electronic MRTDs (eMRTDs), and the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD) implementation addresses these operational constraints.

These technologies enable automated verification processes that can handle higher volumes while maintaining security standards. Countries implementing eMRTD systems report processing time reductions of up to 50% for routine border crossings, while maintaining equivalent (or better) security outcomes through enhanced document authentication capabilities.

The forum’s attention to the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme and advanced passenger data systems like API (Advance Passenger Information) and PNR (Passenger Name Record) reflects evolving security requirements. International agreements now mandate these data-sharing capabilities, making implementation essential.

Strategic questions for industry leaders

As government officials and industry leaders consider their engagement with these developments, several strategic questions emerge based on the forum’s agenda priorities:

• Investment prioritization: How should organizations sequence investments in current facilitation technologies against emerging solutions that may become mandatory?
• Partnership strategy: The forum’s emphasis on inter-agency coordination suggests traditional operational models may become insufficient. What new collaboration frameworks with government agencies, technology providers, and international organizations will be necessary?
• Capability development: The shift toward data-driven facilitation requires new organizational capabilities in areas like cybersecurity, data analytics, and cross-border cooperation. Which capabilities should organizations develop internally versus through partnerships?
• Risk management: Early adoption of new technologies offers competitive advantages while carrying implementation risks. How can organizations balance innovation leadership with operational stability?

The Path forward

The ICAO Facilitation Regional Forum represents a strategic inflection point driven by measurable operational pressures and technological capabilities. Asia-Pacific aviation growth rates, existing capacity constraints, and demonstrated benefits from digital facilitation technologies create compelling business cases for the changes under discussion.

For the participants gathering in Ulaanbaatar, the challenge will be translating these technological possibilities into coordinated implementation strategies. The forum’s two-day agenda structure, moving from policy coordination on day one to technical implementation on day two, reflects this practical focus.

Success will be measured through concrete outcomes: reduced processing times, improved passenger satisfaction scores, enhanced security effectiveness, and increased operational efficiency. The decisions made and relationships formed during these discussions will determine which countries and organizations lead the next phase of aviation facilitation innovation.

The future of air travel is being shaped by operational necessities, technological capabilities, and strategic coordination. Mongolia’s forum provides the platform where these elements converge into actionable strategies.