ICAO Council condemns Iran for airspace violations

Through its decision adopted on 31 March 2026, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) condemned the violation by the Islamic Republic of Iran of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, including their sovereign airspaces, contrary to Article of 1 of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention.) The Council deplored Iran’s illegal use of unmanned aircraft systems for military purposes against civilian infrastructure over the territories of the affected Member States. Recalling the purposes and principles of the Chicago Convention, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), as well as relevant resolutions of the ICAO Assembly, the Council highlighted that such actions are inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Emphasising the serious and ongoing risk to the safety of civil aviation arising from unauthorised military incursions into airspace and the resulting disruption of civil air operations in the region, the Council underscored the paramount importance of preserving the safety and security of international civil aviation. The Council urgently called upon Iran to cease its unlawful activities and respect its obligations under the Chicago Convention and other relevant international civil aviation treaties. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]