International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Overview of ICAO

• The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
• ICAO was founded in 1944.
• ICAO's headquarters are located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• ICAO coordinates international air navigation and promotes the growth of international air transport.
• ICAO establishes standards and practices for civil aviation, including air navigation, infrastructure, flight inspection, and border crossing procedures.
• ICAO also defines air accident investigation protocols.

Key Points About ICAO

• ICAO oversees the administration and governance of the International Civil Aviation Convention, also known as the Chicago Convention.
• The Chicago Convention specifies airspace restrictions, aircraft registration, and safety requirements.
• The organization was established on April 4, 1947.
• ICAO works with 193 Member States and industry groups to develop Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for international civil aviation.
• SARPs ensure a safe, secure, efficient, ecologically responsible, and economically viable civil aviation sector.
• ICAO is led by a President and administered by the ICAO Council.

Foundation of ICAO

• An International Civil Aviation Conference in Chicago was held in November 1944, with invitations sent to 55 States or authorities.
• 54 countries participated in the conference.
• 32 countries signed the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
• The International Services Transit Agreement and the International Air Transport Agreement were signed simultaneously.
• The conference established rules and regulations for air navigation to improve flight safety.
• An Interim Agreement was signed to develop a Provisional International Organization to collaborate in international civil aviation.
• The provisional organization existed from August 1945 to April 1947 before the permanent ICAO was established.

International Civil Aviation Day

• International Civil Aviation Day was initially observed on December 7, 1994, for ICAO's 50th anniversary.
• The United Nations General Assembly officially designated December 7 as International Civil Aviation Day in 1996.
• The day raises global awareness about the importance of aviation in the social and economic development of nations.
• It recognizes ICAO’s role in ensuring international aviation cooperation, safety, and efficiency.
• International civil aviation is a source of global connectedness.
• The global air transport sector supports 65.6 million jobs and generates USD 2.7 trillion in economic activity.

Functions of ICAO

• Establishes procedures for investigating air accidents.
• Oversees worldwide civil aviation rules and norms.
• The organization guarantees established procedures and that standards are satisfied.
• ICAO is responsible for preventing unlawful interference and facilitating international civil aviation border crossing procedures.

Objectives of ICAO

• Establishes procedures for investigating air accidents and oversees worldwide civil aviation rules and norms.
• The organization guarantees established procedures and that standards are satisfied.
• ICAO is responsible for preventing unlawful interference and facilitating international civil aviation border crossing procedures.

Air Freedoms

• The 1944 Chicago Convention established standards for international commercial aviation, including six ‘air freedoms.’
• The first freedom allows a country’s airline to fly over another country and land in a third.
• The second freedom allows refueling or maintenance in a foreign country without embarking or disembarking passengers or cargo.
• The third and fourth freedoms grant rights to travel from the airline’s country to another and vice versa.
• Other air freedoms pertain to airline operations between two nations not including the country of origin, or within a foreign country with or without a stop in the home country.

India and ICAO

• India was a founding member of ICAO, attending the Chicago Convention in 1944.
• India has been a member of the ICAO Council, including the Provisional ICAO from 1944 to 1947.
• India has a permanent representative at ICAO headquarters in Montreal.
• India has raised the issue of Pakistan denying access to its airspace at ICAO.
• Pakistan denied India's request to fly the Prime Minister’s plane to Saudi Arabia on October 28, 2019, due to alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

International Conventions Prepared Under ICAO

• In the 1960s, unlawful interference with civil aviation led to the establishment of three conventions.

The Tokyo Convention of 1963

• The Convention on Offenses and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft ensures jurisdiction for offenses committed on an aircraft (the state of registry).
• It specifies the aircraft commander’s and others’ authorities and responsibilities regarding detention and disembarkation and lays out a code of conduct for jurisdictions where the suspected perpetrator has disembarked.

The Hague Convention of 1970

• The Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft defines unlawful seizure and establishes universal jurisdiction, arrest, and custody.
• It states that the suspected offender’s prosecution or extradition should be carried out without undue delay.

The Montreal Convention of 1971

• The Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation defines acts of unlawful interference against international civil aviation.
• It establishes universal jurisdiction and follows the Hague Convention’s provisions for custody, extradition, and prosecution.