Civil aviation is the term used for all types of aviation that aren’t used by the military, so civil aviation is extremely important to the functioning of society. It’s also extremely important for the economic and social development of states.

That’s why International Civil Aviation Day was established in the mid-1990s and continues to be celebrated to this day. It’s a holiday that falls on December 7th and one that some people might want to observe.

The History of Civil Aviation Day

This holiday was first established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1994 in preparation for the celebration of its 50th anniversary. The United Nations General Assembly officially recognized December 7th as International Civil Aviation Day. It has since been a holiday celebrated all over the world.

Interesting Facts About Aviation

As we did our due diligence for this holiday, we found some very interesting facts about aviation. Facts that we think anyone celebrating this holiday is going to want to learn about. Let’s check them out before we talk about how this holiday is often observed.

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport is the world’s busiest commercial airport.
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport was visited by over 110 million passengers in 2019.
• A person who flies 10 or more hours will lose around 4% of their body’s water due to the lack of humidity in the cabin.
• The flight between Newark and Singapore takes 18 hours and 38 minutes. That’s the longest direct flight in the world.
• In the United Kingdom, pilots must retire at the age of 65.
• Airplanes are designed to be resistant to lightning. Lightning is dispersed over the plane’s aluminum skin.
• Flying at any height over 30,000 feet will reduce your taste bud’s sensitivity to salt and sweet foods by as much as 30%.
• Co-pilots are given different meals than pilots. This is to prevent both pilots from getting sick if there’s some kind of food contamination.
• A Boeing 747 is made up of 6 million different parts.
• Each Boeing 747 engine weighs approximately 9,500 pounds.

Observing International Civil Aviation Day

On this day, aviation events are held all over the U.S. and around the globe. Some of these activities include air shows, tours of airports, and even educational aviation seminars. People also celebrate this holiday individually. They thank people in the aviation industry for all that they do, post on social media using the hashtag #InternationalCivilAviationDay, and study the history of aviation in the world.