International Air Law Framework
The Chicago Convention as the Root Document
The Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944) is the foundation of everything in this exam. Know its core articles: Article 1 (complete and exclusive sovereignty of each State over the airspace above its territory), Article 5 (non-scheduled flights), Article 6 (scheduled services require special permission), Article 8 (pilotless aircraft), Article 12 (rules of the air to be followed), Article 13 (entry and clearance regulations), and Article 29 (documents to be carried on board). Article 33 covers recognition of certificates; Article 37 obliges States to keep regulations aligned with ICAO Standards.
The Annex System
ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) live in 19 Annexes. Candidates should map the high-value ones: Annex 1 Licensing, Annex 2 Rules of the Air, Annex 6 Operation of Aircraft, Annex 7 Nationality and Registration Marks, Annex 8 Airworthiness, Annex 11 Air Traffic Services, Annex 12 Search and Rescue, Annex 13 Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, Annex 14 Aerodromes, Annex 17 Security, Annex 18 Dangerous Goods. Note that a Standard is binding unless a State files a difference; a Recommended Practice is not.
Traps and Rule of Thumb
Common traps: confusing the Paris/Havana/Warsaw instruments with Chicago; assuming ICAO legislates directly (it does not - States implement); confusing the Council (permanent governing body) with the Assembly (all States, triennial). The 1944 Transit Agreement (two freedoms) and Transport Agreement (five freedoms) are separate from the Convention itself.
Worked example: A question asks which Annex governs a flight crew licence. Answer: Annex 1 - not Annex 6, which governs how the operator uses that licence.