ICAO’s Legal Committee has recommended continued work on how the Chicago Convention and other existing instruments apply to aircraft flown without a pilot onboard. The committee concluded its 40th session in Montréal on 30 October, after meeting at the organisation’s headquarters from 26 to 30 October. Its recommendations will go to the ICAO Council for consideration; they do not establish new binding rules or a finalized framework for pilotless aircraft.
The committee’s work addresses the application of current international air law to emerging technologies, with the aim of limiting divergent national approaches as pilotless aircraft operations develop. No timetable for further work was provided.
It also backed practical, non-binding guidance and a web-based tool to help States meet their obligations under Article 12 of the Chicago Convention to enforce the Rules of the Air. The materials are intended to support States’ implementation of those obligations, which apply to international flights.
Other subjects considered included legal clarity on airport and air navigation charges, data protection, cyber threats, offences and global satellite navigation systems. The committee also supported wider ratification and implementation of ICAO air-law instruments, alongside capacity-building and legal assistance for States.