Russia cites air safety in bid to lift international aviation sanctions

Russia is pressing the U.N. civil aviation agency to lift sanctions dealing with the shipment of aircraft parts and overflights, warning they allegedly threaten air safety, Reuters reported on Sept. 22, citing its undisclosed source and working papers.

The news comes as the 42nd Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the U.N. body responsible for setting global aviation safety standards, convenes this week in Montreal, from Sept. 23 to Oct. 3.

ICAO previously condemned Russia for violating Ukrainian airspace and for the dual registration of aircraft, practices that breach international norms.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, international sanctions have restricted Russian airlines' access to Western-made spare parts, hampering the country’s ability to maintain and repair its commercial aircraft fleet.

Moscow is now seeking to negotiate the easing of those limitations, arguing they pose a risk to flight safety, the source told Reuters.

Russia submitted its request to ICAO after the U.S. lifted sanctions on Belarusian state carrier Belavia, measures that had also been imposed in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

According to working papers seen by Reuters, Russia claimed the sanctions violate international aviation rules. The documents also show that Moscow is once again seeking a seat on ICAO’s 36-member governing council, following a failed bid in 2022.

Russia criticized a range of aviation restrictions in the working papers, including the closure of airspace by 37 countries, the suspension of airworthiness certificates for Russian-operated aircraft, and bans on maintenance and insurance services.

The source added that much of Russia’s Boeing and Airbus fleet is aging, and that some replacement parts are now only available through unofficial "gray" market channels.

"If in the near future a Russian Boeing or Airbus crashes and people die - what then? In any case, it will be blamed on sanctions," the source said.

Russia’s aviation sector has also been disrupted by frequent Ukrainian attacks, which have forced airports in regions within range of Ukrainian drones to delay or cancel flights.

Yet, Russia recently reopened Krasnodar International Airport, one of the closest major airports to the Ukrainian border, after it had remained closed since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy