Tao Ma

Mr. Ma joined ICAO as Regional Director for the Asia Pacific Office in September 2021.

Prior joining as ICAO Regional Director Mr. Ma served as the Regional Vice President for North-Asia of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).


He was the Permanent Representative of China on the Council of ICAO in Montreal from 2006 until 2017 and served in a number of different positions including Chairman of working group of governance and efficiency (WGGE); First Vice President of the Council of ICAO and Chairman of Technical Co-operation Committee.

Mr. Ma began his career in aviation with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in 1983. Over the years, he has held positions of increasing responsibility within the CAAC including Director of the Flight Standards Liaison Division, Assistant Deputy Director General of the Department of Flight Standards; Deputy Director General of the Department of Flight Standards as well as Head of Airworthiness Certification Center of CAAC before joining IATA in 2019. He served as Acting Chairman of the North Asia regional technical cooperation Programme,‘Cooperative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness Programme — North Asia’ (COSCAP-NA).

A graduate of the University of Civil Aviation of China, Mr. Ma also holds a Master’s degree in aviation safety management from Civil Aviation University of China and Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile of France. He holds a Commercial Pilot’s Licence issued in China.