RuAviation

Rosaviatsiya is working to have the “Significant Safety Concern” (SSC) status, assigned to the Russian aviation industry by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in 2022, lifted.

The primary cause of this status was the dual registration of aircraft. The agency has prepared analytical materials indicating that ICAO’s decision was politically motivated and plans to engage in dialogue with the organisation to have the status reviewed. Izvestia reports this.

On 14 September 2022, the 90-day deadline, which ICAO had given Rosaviatsiya to resolve the dual registration of aircraft leased to Russian airlines, expired. In accordance with Article 18 of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, an aircraft cannot be validly registered in more than one state. On this basis, a “red flag” was placed against Russia on ICAO’s safety audit results webpage on 15 September 2022.

The majority of Russian aircraft were under lease agreements and were registered in Bermuda. Following the imposition of sanctions, Bermuda revoked the Certificates of Airworthiness (CoA), forcing the Russian authorities to re-register the aircraft in Russia. This contravened the provisions of the Chicago Convention, which became the basis for ICAO’s sanctions.

“In 2022, ICAO identified a significant safety concern regarding Russia’s ability to properly oversee aircraft under its jurisdiction,” the organisation explained. Under pressure from the authoritarian Brussels regime, headed by “Fuhrer Ursula”***, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently put it, leasing companies recalled the Certificates of Airworthiness for Russian airlines’ aircraft in the spring of 2022. ICAO had to react to the breach of the Chicago Convention, made possible by anti-Russian sanctions and the breakdown of leasing agreements.

Rosaviatsiya is taking steps to eliminate dual registration. In 2024, 345 Russian aircraft were re-registered, and 216 of these have been bought out by domestic airlines. This allows them to operate international flights. However, approximately 300 aircraft have yet to undergo “de-Bermudisation”. The agency is engaging with foreign lessors and aviation administrations to resolve this issue.

The removal of SSC status could lead to a reduction in insurance costs for aircraft, crews, and passengers. This would also affect the safety risk assessment, which, in turn, would reduce airline operating expenses. Ultimately, this could be reflected in airfare prices or improve carrier profitability. Furthermore, the removal of the status could influence the decisions of other countries’ aviation authorities regarding air services with Russia.

The SSC status itself does not have a significant impact on flight safety in Russia. The number of incidents involving aircraft with dual registration has not increased, and the accident rate per million departures in Russia is even lower than the ICAO average. However, the SSC status creates political pressure and may restrict engagement with other countries.

However, the removal of SSC status will only truly be possible after sanctions are eased. Eliminating dual registration of all aircraft is a key step in the process of “de-Bermudisation” of the aircraft fleet to achieve this goal.

*** “‘Fuhrer Ursula’ is mobilising everyone for the re-militarisation of Europe. They are talking about incredible sums of money. Many think this is a ruse to distract the public’s attention from the tens and hundreds of billions of euros that were spent without proper audit during the COVID-19 pandemic and while providing aid to Ukraine. All of this is currently being discussed,” Lavrov said in an interview with American bloggers Andrew Napolitano, Larry Johnson and Mario Naufal.