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U.N. Aviation Agency ‘Captured’ by Industry, Report Argues

Nonprofit dings ICAO for alleged lack of transparency.

Logo of ICAO
The logo of the ICAO [Credit: ICAO]
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Key Takeaways:

  • A new report by InfluenceMap alleges the UN's aviation body, ICAO, is "captured" by commercial airline interests, leading it to discourage climate change initiatives like jet fuel taxes and promote less ambitious environmental policies.
  • The report highlights a significant lack of transparency in ICAO's environmental committees, with closed-door meetings and industry representatives vastly outnumbering environmental experts.
  • ICAO has responded by committing to increased transparency and a "cultural transformation," stating its upcoming assembly will review progress and set a long-term strategic plan for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
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The United Nations’ aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is increasingly dominated by the very commercial interests it was meant to regulate, a new report argues.

Independent think tank InfluenceMap evaluated the ICAO’s recent meetings and decision-making processes and concluded the organization is essentially “captured” by the airline industry and other corporations connected to commercial air travel, especially as it concerns climate change initiatives and the regulation of conventional jet fuel.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

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