Russia has requested that the United Nations’ aviation authority consider lifting sanctions related to spare parts and overflights that were imposed due to the invasion of Ukraine, as reported by Reuters on Monday, referencing documents and a knowledgeable source.
In a working document reviewed by Reuters, Russia contended to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that these sanctions contravene global regulations. The document stated, “Coercive measures that are unlawful infringe upon the human right to free movement regardless of one’s nationality or citizenship.”
According to a source from the Russian aviation sector, Moscow is particularly advocating for the removal of sanctions on spare parts, emphasizing their importance for ensuring flight safety.
These proposals are part of documents prepared by Russia for the ICAO’s upcoming triennial assembly, where the country is also aiming to secure a seat on the organization’s governing council, after failing to garner sufficient votes for a position in 2022 following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The documents also address the airspace closures enacted by 37 countries against Russian airlines, the suspension of airworthiness certifications for aircraft operated by Russian entities, and prohibitions on technical maintenance and insurance.
Russia’s papers assert that ICAO must implement “all necessary measures to prevent states from enacting politically driven, discriminatory, and coercive actions” within global aviation.
This campaign by Russia occurs in the context of the U.S. having partially lifted sanctions on Belarus’ state airline, Belavia, in return for the release of 52 political prisoners. However, Washington remains concerned that U.S.-made Boeing parts could be redirected to Russia through Belarus, given that nine out of Belavia’s 16 aircraft are made in the United States. Consequently, Belavia has been banned from operating its Boeing airplanes to Russia, occupied areas of Ukraine, and nations on the U.S. terrorism sponsor list such as Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Cuba. Additionally, exempted aircraft are barred from transporting items subject to U.S. export restrictions.
Elina Ribakova, a fellow at the Bruegel think tank and program director at the Kyiv School of Economics, remarked to Politico that the practical implications of these restrictions may be minimal. “It is difficult to monitor activities within [the] Russia-Belarus customs union, of which Belarus is a member,” Ribakova stated. “I perceive Belarus and Russia as fully collaborating nations with highly permeable borders.”
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Western sanctions have severed Russia’s access to foreign-made aircraft and components, leading Moscow to obstruct the return of numerous leased Boeing and Airbus planes. Russian airlines, which manage over 700 Western-manufactured aircraft, have had to depend on intricate parallel import channels to acquire parts, resulting in numerous operational breakdowns.
In July, a Soviet-era Antonov An-24 aircraft tragically crashed in the Far East, claiming the lives of all 48 individuals on board.
