Chicago Convention

Why in news?

• The Union Cabinet has approved the ratification of three Protocols relating to amendments in the convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), 1944.

More about the News:

• The ratification would affirm India’s commitment to the principles enshrined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
• The ratification would also provide better chances and opportunity for India to become more instrumental in matters pertaining to international civil aviation

About Chicago Convention:

• The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the UN charged with coordinating international air travel.
• ICAO is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
• The Convention establishes rules of airspace, aircraft registration and safety, security, and sustainability, and details the rights of the signatories in relation to air travel.
• The Convention also contains provisions pertaining to taxation.
• It was signed in 1944 in Chicago.

Members:

• As of March 2019, the Chicago Convention had 193 state parties, which includes all member states of the United Nations except Liechtenstein

Main articles:

• Article 1:
  • Every state has complete and exclusive sovereignty over airspace above its territory.
• Article 3:
  • Every other state must refrain from resorting to the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight.
• Article 5:
  • The aircraft of states, other than scheduled international air services, have the right to make flights across state's territories and to make stops without obtaining prior permission.
  • However, the state may require the aircraft to make a landing.
• Article 6: (Scheduled air services)
  • No scheduled international air service may be operated over or into the territory of a contracting State, except with the special permission or other authorization of that State.
• Article 16:
  • The authorities of each state shall have the right to search the aircraft of other states on landing or departure, without unreasonable delay.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Chicago Convention, sometimes seen in news, is associated with:

(a) Human rights

(b) Civil Aviation

(c) Cultural and natural heritage

(d) Labour

Answer