Russia fails to regain seat on ICAO Governing Council

Russia was unable to return to the Governing Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the United Nations.

In elections held in Montreal on Saturday, September 27, during the 42nd session of the Assembly, Russia received 87 votes, falling short of the 93 votes required to secure a seat on the 36-member council, DW reports.

The ICAO Council is divided into three groups:

• Group 1, comprising states of “primary importance in air transport,” elected Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

• Group 2, consisting of countries with “the greatest contribution to international civil aviation,” elected Argentina, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, and Switzerland.

• Group 3, representing “geographical balance,” will hold elections on September 30.

The council is re-elected every three years during the Assembly session, attended by representatives of 193 member states. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country, which traditionally belonged to Group 1, lost its seat. Sanctions against Russia’s aviation sector include bans on flights over EU and U.S. airspace and restrictions on purchasing spare parts for Western aircraft, such as Boeing and Airbus planes.

By Khagan Isayev