‘Sully’ Steps Down from ICAO Role

In 2009, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III landed a US Airways Airbus 320-200 in the Hudson River with 155 passengers and crew on board. [Courtesy: NASA]

In an unexpected development on the global aerospace stage, C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger has stepped down from his position as the U.S. ambassador to ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organization) after serving only 6 months, according to a Reuters report.

The retired US Airways captain announced on Thursday that he would depart the organization on July 1. He’d been confirmed to the post in December 2021, in Montreal.

In a statement to Reuters, Sullenberger indicated that he was “'relinquishing my role,’” and that it “was not an easy decision but did not offer a reason for his departure after just over six months.”

Sullenberger is well known in aviation circles not only for his role in safely landing US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320, on January 15, 2009, on the Hudson River in New York after departure from LaGuardia Airport (KLGA), but for his outspoken commentary on topics from the lure of an airline career to the fate of the Boeing 737 Max.

Aerospace Flight 1549 Global ICAO Sullenberger sully US Airways

Julie BoatmanContributor

Based in Maryland, Julie Boatman is an aviation educator and author. She holds an airline transport pilot certificate with Douglas DC-3 and CE510 (Citation Mustang) type ratings. She's a CFI/CFII since 1993, specializing in advanced aircraft and flight instructor development.