Russia is pressing to regain its seat on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, three years after being voted out following the invasion of Ukraine and the seizure of hundreds of leased aircraft. The bid, which comes as ICAO opens its triennial assembly this week in Montreal, has drawn sharp opposition from the European Union.
“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 organization’s governing body, tasked with upholding those very rules,” Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, the European Commission’s transport spokesperson, told Politico.
Other European lawmakers voiced similar concerns, pointing to Russia’s continuing war and repeated airspace violations. Dariusz Joński, a member of the European Parliament, said Russia’s candidacy “is incompatible with the credibility of ICAO.” She said member states must not “reward aggression, lawlessness, or disregard for civil aviation safety with a seat on the Council.”
Johan Danielsson, who is also representing the EU at the assembly, noted that “the situation has not improved since 2022, when they were voted out … [there are] simply no arguments for letting them back in.”
For Russia, the push is as much about international prestige as aviation policy. Aviation Advocacy managing director Andrew Charlton told Politico that Moscow’s 2022 ouster was “very embarrassing” and that a return would be an attempt to “reverse that ‘shame.’”
The effort comes several months after the ICAO Council concluded in April that Russia was responsible for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which killed 298 people. Russia has appealed that finding to the International Court of Justice, but ICAO’s ruling remains in effect.
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