ICAO Council to launch an investigation into the apparent forced diversion of Ryanair Flight FR4978

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council has expressed its strong concern at the apparent forced diversion of Ryanair Flight FR4978, a commercial passenger aircraft flying in Belarus airspace, on 23 May 2021.

At a specially convened meeting, the ICAO Governing Body underlined the importance of establishing the facts of what happened, and of understanding whether there had been any breach by any ICAO Member State of international aviation law, including the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) and its Annexes.

Recalling Article 55 (e) of the Chicago Convention, the Council decided to undertake a fact-finding investigation of this event and, in this connection, requested the ICAO Secretariat to prepare an interim report to the Council for a subsequent meeting of the current session, presenting the available facts and relevant legal instruments.

The Council also called upon all ICAO Member States and other relevant stakeholders to collaborate with this fact-finding investigation in the interests of ensuring the safety and security of civil aviation, and offered the assistance and expertise of ICAO in the pursuit of this endeavour.

“The Council has therefore decided that all relevant facts should be officially established through an ICAO investigation conducted by the ICAO Secretariat,” emphasised ICAO Council President, Salvatore Sciacchitano.

ICAO’s Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, responded to the Council’s decision during the meeting and assured the full support and cooperation of the Secretariat in implementing this decision.