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

Nonprofit dings ICAO for alleged lack of transparency.

Zach Vasile

Friday, September 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The logo of the ICAO [Credit: ICAO]

Key Takeaways:

A new report by InfluenceMap alleges that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN's aviation body, is increasingly "captured" by commercial airline interests, influencing its regulatory decisions, especially concerning climate change initiatives and conventional jet fuel.
Evidence for this corporate capture includes the ICAO advising against industry taxes, its carbon offset scheme (CORSIA) being criticized as unambitious, and a significant lack of transparency in its meetings where industry representatives vastly outnumber environmental experts.
The report precedes an upcoming ICAO assembly meeting to set regulatory direction for the next three years; in response, the ICAO claims a commitment to increasing transparency and a "cultural transformation" towards long-term goals like 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.