About ICAO

The United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialised agency. To ensure safe and orderly expansion, it modifies the principles and procedures of international air navigation and promotes the planning and development of international air transport. Its headquarters are in Montreal, Quebec, in  Canada

The ICAO Council establishes standards and recommended practices for international civil aviation in the areas of air navigation, infrastructure, flight inspection, unlawful interference prevention, and border-crossing procedures. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) establishes the air accident investigation protocols that are followed by transport safety authorities in nations that have signed the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Within ICAO, the Air Navigation Commission (ANC) is the technical body.

Membership:

There are 193 ICAO members as of April 2019, including 192 of the 193 UN members (all bar Liechtenstein, which does not have an international airport) and the Cook Islands.

Despite the fact that Liechtenstein is not a direct party to ICAO, its government has delegated the treaty’s entry into force to Switzerland, and the treaty applies to Liechtenstein’s territory.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) was a founding member of ICAO, but it was replaced as China’s legal representative by the People’s Republic of China in 1971, and as a result, it no longer participates in the organisation. Taiwan was invited to attend the 38th ICAO Assembly as a guest under the name of Chinese Taipei for the first time in 2013. Due to continued PRC pressure, it has not been invited to participate as of September 2019. Taiwan’s membership in ICAO is supported by the host nation, Canada. increase flight safety in international air navigation, and support the development of international civil aviation in general.

Use of the International System of Units:

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) advises that aviation units of measurement be standardised using the International System of Units (SI). Although SI units are technically preferred, the following non-SI units continue to be widely used in commercial aviation:

• For speed, use knots (kn).
• Distance is measured in nautical miles (nm).
• The elevation is measured in feet (ft).

Since 1979, knots, nautical miles, and feet have been allowed for temporary usage, but no date has been set for when the metrication of global aviation will be complete. Since 2010, the ICAO has advised using:

• The speed of travel is measured in kilometres per hour (km/h).
• The wind speed during landing is measured in metres per second (m/s).
• Distance is measured in kilometres (km).
• The elevation is measured in metres (m).

Regions and regional offices:

ICAO has a headquarters, seven regional offices, and one regional sub-office:[47]

• Headquarters – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Asia and Pacific (APAC) – Bangkok, Thailand; Sub-office – Beijing, China
• Europe and North Atlantic (EUR/NAT) – Paris, France
• Eastern and Southern African (ESAF) – Nairobi, Kenya
• Middle East (MID) – Cairo, Egypt
• Western and Central African (WACAF) – Dakar, Senegal
• South American (SAM) – Lima, Peru
• North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) – Mexico City, Mexico

ICAO’s goals and objectives:

According to the Chicago Convention, ICAO’s goals and objectives are as follows:

• To promote international air transport planning and development in order to ensure the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation around the world.
• Encourage the design and operation of aircraft for peaceful purposes.
• Encourage the construction of international civil aviation highways, airports, and air navigation infrastructure.
• Meet the global demand for safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective air transportation.
• Prevent economic wastage as a result of unfair competition.
• Ensure that contracting states’ rights are completely honoured, that each contracting state has an equal opportunity to operate international airlines, and that discrimination between contracting states is avoided.
• Increase flight safety in international air navigation, and support the development of international civil aviation in general.

Conclusion:

A conference on the international air law code was held in Paris, France, in 1910, with representatives from 18 European countries in attendance. Following World War I, the Paris Peace Conference established the International Air Convention in 1919 to regulate civil aviation. The Convention, which was accepted by 38 countries, sparked the formation of the International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN), which opened its doors in Paris in December 1922 with Albert Roper as general secretary. In November 1944, 32 countries signed the Convention on International Civil Aviation, establishing the permanent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to oversee international collaboration on civil aviation legislation, standards, and procedures. The ratification procedure took three years, but in 1947, ICAO took over the ICAN offices in Paris.