Thailand will host the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Advanced Air Mobility Symposium in December, creating opportunities for investment, technology development and stronger global aviation cooperation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Thursday presided over the signing of an agreement between the Thai government and ICAO to prepare for the second Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Symposium 2026.
ICAO selected Thailand to host the event from Dec 1-3 under the theme “From Vision to Implementation: Enabling the AAM Ecosystem”.
About 1,500 participants from its 193 member states are expected, including policymakers, aviation regulators, executives and industry representatives.
Mr Phiphat said hosting the symposium would allow Thailand to demonstrate its readiness to support emerging aviation technologies and strengthen its position as a regional aviation hub.
The event is expected to create opportunities to attract investment in advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft, aviation technology, infrastructure, air traffic management, and research and development.
The government expects such investment to support new industries, employment, workforce development and domestic supply chains for aviation technology.
Thai businesses, universities and aviation professionals will also have opportunities to connect with international experts and technology developers, supporting knowledge transfer and research.
Mr Phiphat said AAM should be viewed not simply as a new aircraft technology but as part of the future transport system.
Thailand therefore needed to prepare its laws, safety standards, infrastructure and workforce while creating an ecosystem conducive to investment, he added.
Hosting the symposium could also give Thailand a stronger voice as international policies, standards and regulations for AAM are developed.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and ICAO are preparing a “Bangkok Statement” to record the outcomes of the symposium and build on the Call to Action from the 2024 AAM event in Montreal, Canada.
CAAT director-general ACM Manat Chavanaprayoon said the agency would work with ICAO, the Transport Ministry and relevant organisations to ensure the event contributed to Thailand’s long-term aviation development.
The symposium will feature international discussions, an exhibition of AAM and unmanned aircraft technologies, and flight demonstrations, he said.