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“In accordance with the Chicago Convention, the Republic of Lithuania appeals to the ICAO Council for a thorough and objective investigation of this incident in relation to various articles of the Convention and violations of international law. the incident concerns a European Union airline, we request that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency be included in this investigation. Our most important concern is the safety of air passengers, “said Minister M. Skuodis in the extraordinary meeting of the ICAO Council that discussed the incident in Belarus on Sunday.
The Minister stressed that the incident in Belarusian airspace and the actions of the Belarusian authorities have clearly demonstrated that there is a significant risk to air safety in Belarusian airspace, raising the question whether Belarus can provide air navigation services. insurance. This was also emphasized by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which has published a safety information bulletin instructing all air operators to avoid Belarusian airspace, unless necessary in case of unforeseen circumstances. Several European airlines, including SAS, Air Baltic, Wizz Air, Air France, Lufthansa and Finnair, have already decided to avoid flights in Belarusian airspace, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Transport.
In addition to Lithuania, representatives of Belarus, Ireland and Poland involved in the incident also had the opportunity to speak at the ICAO Council meeting, and Council members also expressed their views.
At the ICAO Council meeting, Minister M. Skuodis raised issues related to the aircraft incident in Belarus. For example, it is not yet known why Ryanair’s crash landing pilots did not receive all the information necessary to make a decision, in particular why Minsk says it has not been able to contact the airline, while Ryanair denies this. Why did the plane go to the farthest airport in Minsk, when there were only a few minutes left to fly to the Lithuanian state border? Why were passengers kept on a plane if the danger of an explosive on the plane was suspected? Why was the normal evacuation protocol not followed? Why were five passengers not allowed to continue their flight from Minsk to Vilnius? Also, why did Minsk air navigation controllers warn the pilot of a Ryanair plane about the alleged explosive almost half an hour before they themselves received the alleged threatening letter from Hamas?
The Minister informed that Lithuania is ready to cooperate with international institutions and provide all necessary information.
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