London, 14-15 October 2026 — New measures to improve assistance for persons with reduced mobility, support to air accident victims and their families, and progress on new EU border systems were among the priorities discussed at the 72nd meeting of the ECAC Facilitation Working Group.
Hosted by the United Kingdom Department for Transport, the meeting brought together representatives of ECAC Member States, the European Commission and industry partners.
On assistance for persons with reduced mobility (PRM), the group endorsed an amendment to Annex 5-J of ECAC Doc 30, Part I (Facilitation), to ensure that information on how to request assistance is visible during the booking process. It also endorsed new assessment checklists for airport managing bodies and air carriers, with a view to their incorporation in the next edition of Doc 30, Part I. In addition, the group endorsed a proposed new structure for Doc 30, Part I, comprising separation of the document into four sub-parts, each to be published as a separate document. The review of Doc 30, Part I and all its annexes will continue until the end of 2027.
Strengthening national facilitation arrangements was another priority. Following a survey on National Facilitation Committees and Programmes, the group agreed to organise a workshop in 2027 to help States establish and strengthen these arrangements.
The group also considered assistance to air accident victims and their families. The State Assistance to Air Accident Victims Task Group conducted a successful pilot peer support session ahead of an ICAO USOAP audit and will now extend this support to more States requesting this assistance. A new Doc 30, Part I chapter 7 on assistance to air accident victims and their families was endorsed and is expected to be included in Doc 30 in early 2027.
With the European Commission and industry partners, the group reviewed the first year of Entry/Exit System (EES) operations at airports and preparations for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). Discussions also covered ICAO’s work on passenger name record (PNR) data transfers, including the reinstated PNR Task Force, as well as disinsection and public health contact tracing.
The outcomes of the meeting, together with the draft 2027 work programme, will be reported to ECAC Directors General at their meeting in Berlin on 15 December 2026 (DGCA/167).