International civil aviation

Abstract

… we always fly away on the first of August. Gardiner , International Law , London, 2003, Ch. 10 Dempsey , Air Law , Montreal, 2008 Shawcross and Beaumont , Air Law , London, 1977 (loose-leaf and includes the texts of treaties and legislation) (‘Shawcross and Beaumont’) www.icao.int (includes the current status of multilateral civil aviation treaties) Introduction International civil aviation is not regulated in the same way as shipping. As well as being quite different in character, air travel is a much newer form of transport and has been regulated by treaty almost from the beginning. The Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation 1944 (in this chapter, ‘the Convention’) provides the essential framework and established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The Convention has been widely ratified and now has 190 parties. English has long replaced French as the language of international civil aviation. (Unless otherwise indicated, references to numbered articles and annexes are to those of the Chicago Convention.) International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a UN specialised agency with headquarters in Montreal, Canada. Its general purpose is the planning and development of international air navigation. It has wide and comprehensive regulatory functions, especially with regard to the safety of aircraft, although their implementation is for national aviation authorities. The ICAO Council adopts, by a two-thirds majority, International Standards and Recommended Practices and Procedures.