The 18th Meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation – Asia Pacific was held from August 20-21, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand. Over 60 medical and civil aviation professionals attended from states and industry associations across the Asia-Pacific region.
In recent years, outbreaks of communicable diseases, including monkeypox and Ebola, have raised travel-related concerns and served as a reminder of how civil aviation can be disrupted by international public health crises.
At the meeting, Gary Leung, senior manager of security and facilitation at Airports Council International (ACI) Asia Pacific and Middle East, delivered a presentation outlining how airports have strengthened their preparedness for public health events and for the next pandemic.
These measures include temperature screening, disinfection routines, flexible terminal layout for health emergency events, emergency planning exercises, communications protocols, defined accountability on health-related issues, and stakeholder cooperation such as cross-party coordination with health authorities.
The meeting also introduced participants to several ACI public-health initiatives developed in recent years, including the ACI Public Health & Safety Readiness Accreditation and the establishment of the Cleanest Airport award.
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