The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), on the 7th of December 1944. ICAO’s core mandate, then as today, was to help member states achieve the highest possible degree of uniformity in civil aviation regulations, standards, procedures, and organization. In a big way it has achieved this, especially being a specialized agency of the United Nations. As of September 2026, it has 193 members, and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, while its Eastern and Southern Africa regional offices are in Nairobi, Kenya.
ICAO adopts Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) to civil aviation, and regularly updates them where need and consensus arises. These laws have been categorized into 19 sections, each covering a specific technical area of international civil aviation. These sections are called annexes.
Annex 1: Personnel Licensing
Annex 1 contains Standards and Recommended Practices adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization as the minimum standards for personnel licensing. The Annex is applicable to all applicants for and, on renewal, to all holders of the licences and ratings specified herein.
Annex 2: Rules of the Air
The Standards in this document. together with the Standards and Recommended Practices of Annex 11. govern the application of the procedures for Air Navigation Services – Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM, Doc 4444) and the Regional Supplementary Procedures – Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Services, contained in Doc 7030, in which latter document will be found subsidiary procedures of regional application.
Annex 3: Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation
The Standards and Recommended Practices in this document govern the application of the Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Meteorology (PANS-MET, Doc 10157) and the Regional Supplementary Procedures (Doc 7030), in which latter document will be found subsidiary procedures of regional application.
Annex 4: Aeronautical Charts
The Specifications in this chapter are applicable on and after 19th November, 2009.
Annex 5: Units of Measurement to be Used in Air and Ground Operations
The standards and recommended practices contained in this Annex shall be applicable to all aspects of international civil aviation air and ground operations.
Annex 6: Operation of Aircraft
Part I – International Commercial Air Transport (Aeroplanes): Covers scheduled and non-scheduled commercial flights carrying passengers, mail, or cargo. It establishes requirements for flight operations, performance, navigation equipment, maintenance, flight crew fatigue management, and Safety Management Systems (SMS).
Part II – International General Aviation (Aeroplanes): Regulates non-commercial operations, including business aviation and private flights. It outlines operational safety standards tailored for general aviation pilots and operators.
Part III – International Operations (Helicopters): Standardizes both commercial and general aviation helicopter operations, including specific performance criteria, offshore operations, and safety equipment.
Part IV – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS): Addresses operational rules and safety requirements specifically for international civil RPAS/drone operations.
Annex 7: Aircraft Nationality and Registration Marks
The provisions of this Annex shall apply to all civil aircraft, except meteorological pilot balloons used exclusively for meteorological purposes or unmanned free balloons without a payload.
Annex 8: Airworthiness of Aircraft
This Annex establishes the baseline technical standards for the design, construction, and operational airworthiness of civil aircraft to ensure safe international flight.
Annex 9: Facilitation (customs, immigration, and border crossing efficiency)
This Annex establishes international standards to streamline border-crossing formalities and reduce delays for aircraft, crews, passengers, and cargo at international airports.
Annex 10: Aeronautical Telecommunications
This Annex establishes global technical standards and operational procedures for civil aviation communications, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) systems to ensure seamless international air traffic management.
Annex 11: Air Traffic Services
This Annex establishes international standards for establishing and operating Air Traffic Services (ATS)—comprising Air Traffic Control (ATC), Flight Information Service (FIS), and Alerting Service—to prevent mid-air collisions and ensure an orderly flow of air traffic. Contracting States shall determine, in accordance with the provisions of this Annex and for the territories over which they have jurisdiction, those portions of the airspace and those aerodromes where air traffic services will be provided. They shall thereafter arrange for such services to be established and provided in accordance with the provisions of this Annex.
Annex 12: Search and Rescue
This Annex applies to the establishment, maintenance, and operation of search and rescue services in the territories of Contracting States and over the high seas, and to the coordination of such services between States.
Annex 13: Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation
Unless otherwise stated, the specifications in this Annex apply to activities following accidents and incidents wherever they occurred, provided that such specifications affect the safety of aircraft operations.
Annex 14: Aerodromes (airport design and operations)
This Annex establishes international standards and recommended practices for airport design, construction, and ground operations to ensure safe aircraft movement during landing, taxiing, and takeoff.
Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services
This Annex sets global standards for collecting, managing, and distributing essential aeronautical data and information to ensure safe and efficient flight operations worldwide.
Annex 16: Environmental Protection (aircraft noise and emissions)
This Annex establishes international standards to minimize the environmental impact of civil aviation, structured across four dedicated volumes.
- Volume I – Aircraft Noise: Defines noise certification procedures and allowable noise thresholds for subsonic jet, propeller-driven, and rotary-wing aircraft during takeoff, approach, and sideline operations.
- Volume II – Aircraft Engine Emissions: Sets limits for intentional fuel venting, smoke emissions, non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM), and gaseous pollutants (HC, CO, and NOx) emitted by aircraft engines.
- Volume III – Aeroplane CO2 Emissions: Regulates fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions for subsonic jet and propeller-driven aeroplanes based on design parameters and production dates.
- Volume IV – CORSIA: Implements the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, standardizing the monitoring, reporting, verification (MRV), and offsetting requirements for international flight emissions.
Annex 17: Security (safeguarding civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference)
Each Contracting State shall have as its primary objective the safety of passengers, crew, ground personnel and the general public in all matters related to safeguarding against acts of unlawful interference with civil aviation. Each Contracting State shall establish an organization and develop and implement regulations, practices and procedures to safeguard civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference, taking into account the safety, regularity and efficiency of flights.
Annex 18: The Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air
The Annex establishes international standards to ensure that hazardous materials are safely packaged, labeled, handled, and transported aboard civil aircraft. Technical Instructions shall apply to all international operations of civil aircraft.
Annex 19: Safety Management
The Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in Annex 19 apply to safety management functions related to, or in direct support of, the safe operation of aircraft
