ICAO Standards, Recommended Practices and the Annexes
Standards versus Recommended Practices
An SARPs system underpins ICAO's regulatory output. A Standard is a specification whose uniform application is recognised as necessary for safety or regularity; States must notify ICAO of any difference. A Recommended Practice is desirable but not mandatory. Both live in the Annexes to the Chicago Convention, and both are adopted by the ICAO Council under Article 37 and 90 procedures, with an obligation on States to notify differences under Article 38.
The Annex map
Know the subject of each Annex, because questions test the mapping rather than the detail:
- Annex 1 Licensing; Annex 2 Rules of the Air; Annex 6 Operation of Aircraft; Annex 8 Airworthiness; Annex 11 ATS; Annex 14 Aerodromes.
- Annex 9 Facilitation; Annex 12 Search and Rescue; Annex 13 Accident Investigation; Annex 17 Security; Annex 18 Dangerous Goods; Annex 19 Safety Management.
Procedures and guidance
PANS (Procedures for Air Navigation Services, e.g. PANS-OPS, PANS-ATM) are more detailed and less binding than SARPs. PANS differ from SUPPs (regional supplementary procedures) and from guidance material such as the Manuals and Circulars, which carry no binding force.
Traps
Examiners mix up Annex 2 versus Annex 11 (rules versus services), Annex 6 versus Annex 8 (operation versus design), and Annex 13 versus Annex 12. They also test whether a State may simply ignore a Standard: it may differ, but must notify. Another classic trap is treating a PANS as a Standard.
Worked example
If a question describes a State that applies a lower minima than the Annex and asks whether this is lawful, the answer is: yes, provided the difference is notified to ICAO under Article 38 and does not compromise safety.