Moscow pushed to rejoin the UN aviation council, but a tough vote and EU opposition kept the seat out of reach.
Setting The Scene
Russia wanted back in the room where global aviation rules get written. The venue was ICAO’s triennial assembly in Montreal, where 193 member states pick the 36 governments that sit on the council. When the ballots were counted, Russia fell short of the threshold and will remain off the governing body for another cycle. Reports indicate Moscow received 87 votes, six shy of the 93 needed.
Why This Bid Was Always Bumpy
The case for a return ran up against recent history. In May 2025, ICAO’s council formally found Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, concluding that Moscow violated the Chicago Convention. That decision still stands and sits at the heart of trust and credibility concerns.
The Russian Federation has been exiled from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) since November of 2022. This followed the firing of a surface to air missile that downed Malaysia Airlines flight 17 (MH17) from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over the village of Hrabove in pro Russian eastern Ukraine. An investigation team from Australia and the Netherlands sought to the justice of the event seeking the full punishment to the extent of international law.
“The District Court of The Hague found Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy and Leonid Kharchenko, guilty of contributing to the downing of Flight MH17 and the murder of all 298 individuals on board. A sentence of life imprisonment was imposed on the three men, who have been tried in absentia. A fourth man has been acquitted.” – Australian Foreign Minister
In July, the victims families stages a silent protest on the tenth anniversary or the Buk missile that killed all passengers onboard.
Europe’s Red Line
The European Union drew a bright line before the vote. EU transport spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen called Russia’s candidacy “unacceptable,” arguing that a state accused of endangering passengers and violating rules should not help govern the body that enforces those rules.
Sanctions, Safety, and Spare Parts
This fight is not only about a chair at a table. Russia arrived in Montreal pressing ICAO to ease sanctions it says jeopardize flight safety by restricting spare parts and maintenance for a large fleet of Western-built jets. Western governments have treated those measures as a consequence of the 2022 invasion and subsequent aviation actions. The sanctions push underscored how the technical and political are now tightly linked.
The Legal Track Keeps Moving
Alongside the lobbying, Russia has appealed the MH17 ruling to the International Court of Justice, seeking to overturn ICAO’s findings on jurisdiction and substance. The appeal does not pause the political realities at ICAO, but it signals that Moscow is pursuing a parallel legal strategy while it campaigns for influence in aviation forums.
What It Means For Travelers
ICAO’s council helps set and steward global safety standards, so who sits there matters for the entire network of commercial aviation. With the vote complete, the status quo continues. Russia’s exclusion reflects an ongoing rift over safety norms, rule of law, and the balance between technical oversight and geopolitics.
Conclusion
Russia’s effort to regain an ICAO council seat ran into a wall built from accountability and credibility. The EU’s hard stance, ICAO’s MH17 ruling, and the unresolved questions around sanctions and safety made the math unforgiving. For now, the signal from Montreal is clear. Stewardship of aviation standards remains tied to adherence to the rules that keep passengers safe, and that bar is not moving to accommodate politics.
