ICAO Tells Russia To Stop Registering Foreign-Owned Airliners

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On top of all the seizures and sanctions facing Russian aerospace, the International Civil Aviation Organization has also wagged its finger. The U.N. body, which ostensibly sets the rules for commercial aviation around the world, has told Russia that moving foreign-registered aircraft to its own registry violates ICAO regulations and it should stop immediately. The ICAO council, which is meeting this week, issued a statement calling for the country to cease the practice “with a view to preserving the safety and security of civil aviation, and to urgently remedy these violations.”

The ICAO combed the records and found that about 450 aircraft owned by foreign lessors and mostly registered in Bermuda have been put on the Russian register. Russia has demanded that Bermuda de-register the affected aircraft, likely over China’s ban on the double-registered flying in its airspace. But Bermuda says Russia and its airlines don’t get to make that call because the planes don’t belong to them. “Our response is consistent in that we will deregister aircraft on request from the owner, in accordance with the relevant Bermuda legislation and procedures,” Bermuda said in a statement.

Russ Niles
Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. “Wagged a finger” – Hardly decisive action. Calling on all ICAO signatory states to exclude double-registered aircraft and/or impound them if in their country, sounds a more proactive, not to mention safer, action !

  2. The action is publicity against Putinssiato contribute to the world not shoving the aggression into the back of their mind as Ukraine fights for its existence as a civil society.

    Cancellation here might help a bit for owners to get paid by insurance companies.

    As for seizing them when outside Russia, that is being done I read, certainly blocked from leaving countries that support sanctions – a big freighter is trapped in Toronto (operated by a Russian cargo carrier).

    But of course the ones in question are in Russia and only fly to countries that are neutral or support Russia, or stay on routes inside Russia.

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