International Law and Conventions: The Framework Behind National Rules
The layered structure
Aviation law sits on a foundation of public international law. The Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention, 1944) created the ICAO framework and established the core principle that each State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory. From that principle flows everything else: a flight over another State requires permission, and permission is normally granted through bilateral air services agreements rather than by the Convention itself. The two other pillars are the transit agreements (the International Air Services Transit Agreement granting the first two freedoms - overflight and technical stop) and the International Air Transport Agreement (the remaining commercial freedoms). Note the trap: the Chicago Convention does not itself grant traffic rights; it grants the privilege to fly non-scheduled flights subject to the State's regulations (Article 5) and leaves scheduled services to separate agreements (Article 6).
Documents carried on board
Article 29 lists the papers an aircraft engaged in international navigation must carry: certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness, crew licences, journey logbook, radio licence, passenger list, manifest and clearance, and cargo declarations. Questions often substitute a national document for an international one, or add items the article does not require.
Liability and offences
Distinguish the Warsaw/Montreal regime (carrier liability to passengers and cargo) from the Tokyo Convention (powers of the aircraft commander and jurisdiction over offences on board), The Hague Convention (unlawful seizure of aircraft) and the Montreal Convention 1971 (unlawful acts against the safety of civil aviation). A common trap is attributing hijacking powers to Tokyo; Tokyo deals with offences and discipline, while Hague deals with seizure.
Worked example
A question asks which document authorises a scheduled international service between two States. The Chicago Convention alone is not the answer - look for a bilateral air services agreement. Rule of thumb: Convention = framework and standards; bilateral = traffic rights; transit agreement = overflight only.
National implementation
Each State enacts the Convention through national legislation, which is why the same Convention yields different national rules. Candidates must know which national instrument implements which Convention article.