Russia loses bid to secure seat on UN aviation authority council

Russia has fallen short of the support needed to gain a seat on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The elections took place on Saturday 27 September in Montreal, Canada.

Sources: Oleksii Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister for Communities and Territories Development; Politico, a Brussels-based politics and policy news organisation

Details: ICAO is the leading global body responsible for setting rules and standards to ensure the safety of international flights. The Council is composed of states that have the greatest influence on global aviation.

Russia fell short by six votes of rejoining either the first or second group of the Council.

Quote from Kuleba: "First and foremost, this is a clear signal: a country that violates the Chicago Convention, operates uncertified aircraft, interferes with GPS and poses a direct threat to flight safety cannot take part in governing international aviation."

Details: According to Politico, European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen had said ahead of Saturday’s vote:

"It is unacceptable that a state which endangers the safety and security of air passengers and violates international rules should hold a seat on the organisation’s governing body, tasked with upholding those very rules."

Moscow has called for "a repeat round of voting" after failing to gain sufficient support for a seat on the 36-member ICAO Council.

Background:

• Russia was expelled from the ICAO Council in 2022 over the illegal seizure of leased aircraft during its war against Ukraine.
  
  
• The ICAO Council also held Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, which killed 298 people.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!