Russia Urges ICAO to Ease Aviation Sanctions Over Safety Concerns

(MONTREAL) Russia is pressing the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to ease aviation sanctions that limit access to Western aircraft parts and overflight rights, warning that continued restrictions raise direct risks to flight safety. The push has sharpened during ICAO’s triennial assembly now underway in Montréal, Canada 🇨🇦, where Russian delegates submitted formal working papers arguing that sanctions violate international law and human rights and could endanger passengers if maintenance gaps widen.

Moscow’s campaign comes after a deadly summer for its aging fleet. In late July 2025, a 1976 Antonov An-24 crashed in Russia’s Far East, killing all 48 people on board. Around the same time, Aeroflot canceled dozens of flights following a cyberattack. Together, these events amplified concerns about whether airlines can safely operate aircraft when reliable access to certified parts and services is cut off.

Since 2022, the United States 🇺🇸, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and partners have maintained strict aviation sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Those measures block exports of aircraft, spare parts, maintenance, and insurance services to Russian carriers, with only narrow exceptions for emergencies and humanitarian needs. Russia argues the restrictions are “unlawful coercive measures,” claiming they undermine the global system ICAO is meant to steward and place civilians at risk.

ICAO, for its part, has criticized Russia’s actions since the invasion, including violations of Ukraine’s airspace sovereignty and the dual registration of seized foreign aircraft—steps that undercut international aviation law. The agency now faces a test: uphold safety and legal standards while resisting political pressure at a moment of deep geopolitical tension. Any shift would require broad support among ICAO’s 193 member states, a tall order given ongoing conflict and diplomatic strain.

Operational impact on Russian carriers

Russian airlines rely heavily on Western-built jets, operating more than 700 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. With official supply cut off, carriers have turned to “grey market” sourcing through third countries, including parts traders in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Turkey, India, the UAE, and China.

• Industry analysts say these channels are unreliable and incomplete and raise compliance issues and questions about traceability.
• Airlines have parked planes and cannibalized grounded aircraft to keep others flying — a short-term fix that chips away at long-term safety margins.
• Overflight bans by 37 countries have lengthened routes, thinned international links, increased costs, and reduced options for travelers.

These practical disruptions affect travelers, students, and families, while forcing some carriers in neighboring states to absorb diverted passengers — raising prices and stretching capacity on key corridors.

Political and diplomatic stakes at ICAO

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, Russia’s lobbying at the assembly also seeks to regain a seat on ICAO’s 36-member council after failing in 2022, framing the sanctions as discriminatory and politically motivated.

• That bid complicates the politics on the assembly floor, where states must weigh Russia’s safety arguments against the sanctions’ broader objective: to pressure Moscow to end the war and respect international law.
• Western governments show no sign of easing. Officials argue sanctions remain a lawful tool and that lifting them could enable diversion of parts to military uses or blunt the intended pressure.

Recent U.S. action on Belarus’s flag carrier Belavia — a limited easing after a political prisoner release — came with strict conditions intended to block any path for U.S.-origin parts to reach Russia. Enforcement agencies continue to warn about diversion risks and have pledged closer monitoring.

ICAO’s credibility is on the line: too much flexibility risks political capture; too little risks claims that safety concerns are being ignored.

Official assembly documents and updates are available at ICAO’s website.

Safety arguments at the ICAO assembly

Russia’s core claim is simple: when airlines can’t obtain certified parts and approved maintenance support, flight safety suffers. Russian officials have said, “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.”

Independent experts share concern about the long-term impact of:

• Cannibalization of aircraft for parts
• Patchwork sourcing from unreliable intermediaries
• Loss of precise configuration control for complex systems

However, many experts argue that granting broad relief could undermine aviation sanctions entirely.

Some specialists suggest a narrow middle course:

1. Allow targeted safety carve-outs for strictly controlled deliveries of safety-critical parts.
2. Impose robust end-use checks to verify the destination and use of shipped items.
3. Maintain intense enforcement to prevent diversion into military supply chains.

Real hurdles remain: verifying end use, stopping diversion through intermediaries, and ensuring relief doesn’t backfill military needs. U.S. and EU enforcement agencies say they will scrutinize shipments and seize goods suspected of diversion.

Sanctions, exceptions, and enforcement

• The sanctions regimes of the U.S., EU, and UK continue to bar export of aircraft, parts, maintenance, and insurance to Russian carriers. These measures remained fully in force as of September 2025.
• The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control allows narrow exceptions under General License 7A for overflight payments, emergency landings, and air ambulance services, but not for routine commercial maintenance or spare parts.
• Customs and export control officers in Western jurisdictions monitor shipments and can block or seize items tied to Russian airlines or suspected diversion pathways.

ICAO’s assembly process gives states a forum to debate Russia’s proposals, but any change would require broad consensus that is unlikely in the current climate. ICAO leadership has emphasized its role in maintaining neutral standards while noting past breaches tied to the conflict.

Outlook and medium-term options

For Russian airlines, the practical picture is grim:

• Parts shortages mean more aircraft may be grounded in the months ahead.
• Service disruptions could spread and incident risk could increase as the fleet continues to age.
• Carriers may attempt to boost domestic production or turn to Chinese-built aircraft, but these options won’t replace the existing Western fleet anytime soon.

Western authorities signal they will keep watching the grey market. The Belavia precedent shows how targeted steps can occur, but also how quickly they can be hedged with strict safeguards. Experts doubt that significant relief for Russian airlines is likely without a major political shift on Ukraine.

The debate at ICAO is no longer just about geopolitics; it is about whether the global system can balance sanctions discipline with flight safety. That dilemma will persist well beyond this assembly.

For now, aviation sanctions stand, enforcement is tight, and the pressure on Russia’s civil aviation system is growing.