Biden nominates former Florida governor Crist to international aviation post

President Joe Biden is nominating former Florida Governor Charlie Crist to serve as US ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the White House said on Wednesday. Crist, a former House lawmaker who lost an election in November to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a bid to return to his old job, if confirmed by the US Senate would replace C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger, the commercial pilot who safely landed an Airbus A320 on New York's Hudson River in 2009 after hitting a flock of geese and stepped down in July 2022. The United Nations civil aviation body in October agreed to a long-term aspirational goal for net-zero aviation emissions by 2050, despite challenges from China and other countries aligned largely with airlines amid pressure to curb air pollution. The 193-nation ICAO holds an assembly held every three years. ICAO cannot impose rules but countries that approve decisions usually abide by them. An ICAO preparatory meeting in July had laid the goal's groundwork after years of talks. Airlines last year adopted a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 in a de facto dress-rehearsal that drew reservations from Chinese carriers, reflecting Beijing's more cautious stance on multilateral action.<br/>