The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN’s aviation arm, is calling on the Russian Federation to cease the dual registration of its aircraft in an attempt to bypass global sanctions.
The request has come about subsequent to the 226th Meeting of the ICAO Council. The Council has made it clear that under the Chicago Convention, a State may change the registration of its aircraft to another state. However, once a State has registered an aircraft, a number of safety-related obligations fall upon it by virtue of the Chicago Convention and its Annexes. The Convention also makes it clear that no aircraft may be validly registered in more than one state at any particular time and that safety concerns will always be raised that relate to the international validity of each airplane’s certificate of airworthiness and radio station license.
The Council has now called on the Russian Federation to immediately cease its infractions of the Chicago Convention, with a view to preserving the safety and security of civil aviation, and to urgently remedy these violations. Additionally, the Council has requested that the Secretary General report these infractions, if not urgently rectified, to all Chicago Convention Contracting States, in accordance with Article 54 j) of the Convention and further decided to submit this matter to the 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly this September-October, for Contracting States’ consideration in accordance with Article 54 k) of the Convention.
