ATPL Air Law (010) study guide
ATPL Air Law (010) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Air Law (010) is one of the fourteen theoretical knowledge subjects a candidate must pass before taking the EASA ATPL(A) skill test, and it is usually sat early because almost every other subject assumes its vocabulary. The syllabus is legal rather than technical: it covers the Chicago Convention and ICAO annexes, aircraft nationality and registration, personnel licensing, rules of the air including interception, air traffic services and airspace classification, aeronautical information, accident investigation, facilitation, security, EU/EASA regulation and carrier liability. The ATPL Air Law (010) study guide has 11 sections and about 5,082 words.
01International Law: ICAO, the Chicago Convention, Annexes and International Organisations
This domain tests the treaty framework behind every other topic in Air Law. Questions ask you to link a situation to a specific Article of the Chicago Convention, to an Annex, or to the correct organ of ICAO, and to distinguish Standards from Recommended Practices.
469 words, about 2 min02Aircraft Nationality, Registration, Airworthiness and Documents
This domain tests the legal status and paperwork that make an aircraft internationally airworthy: which State registers it, what marks it carries, which State certifies it, and which documents must be on board. Questions typically ask 'which document, issued by whom, is required?' Article 17 gives an aircraft the nationality of the State in which it is registered.
474 words, about 2 min03Personnel Licensing: Flight Crew Privileges, Limitations and Records
This domain tests Annex 1 and its European implementation: who may hold which licence, what privileges it confers, which medical certificate is needed, and how long everything stays valid. Questions are commonly calculation-free but hinge on exact age, class and validity wording.
476 words, about 2 min04Rules of the Air: General Rules, Flight Rules, Signals and Interception
This domain tests Annex 2 and its European counterpart SERA: who gives way to whom, what minima apply, how aircraft are separated by cruising level, and what to do when intercepted. The exam favours scenario questions where two aircraft converge and you must state the right-of-way and the avoiding action.
506 words, about 3 min05Air Traffic Services, Airspace Classification and ATS Procedures
This domain tests Annex 11 and SERA: which services exist, what each airspace class guarantees, and what a clearance does and does not mean. The recurring question is 'in this class of airspace, what separation and what service does an IFR or VFR flight receive?' Air traffic services comprise the air traffic control service, the flight information service, the alerting service and the air traffic advisory service.
464 words, about 2 min06Aeronautical Information, Charts, NOTAM and AIP
This domain tests Annex 15 and Annex 4: which product carries which information, how quickly it must be published, and which chart serves which purpose. Questions often present a scenario such as a runway closure or a new obstacle and ask for the correct publication vehicle.
425 words, about 2 min07Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation
This domain tests Annex 13 and Article 26 of the Chicago Convention: what counts as an accident, who investigates, which States are entitled to participate, and how the report is produced. Scenario questions about multi-State accidents are common.
513 words, about 3 min08Facilitation: Customs, Immigration and Health Requirements
This domain tests Annex 9 and the Convention Articles on the movement of aircraft, people and goods across borders. Questions ask which formality may be required, which charge may be levied, and which document is needed for a transit stop.
439 words, about 2 min09Security: Unlawful Interference, Sabotage and Safeguarding
This domain tests Annex 17 and the international conventions against unlawful interference, together with the European security rulebook. Questions ask which convention covers which act, who has authority on board, and what a State or operator must establish.
432 words, about 2 min10National and Regional Law: EU/EASA Regulations and State Rules
This domain tests how European law implements ICAO obligations and how national rules sit beneath it. Questions test which regulation covers which subject, what the Basic Regulation does, and how exemptions and third-country arrangements work.
418 words, about 2 min11Liability, Insurance, Carriage by Air and Aviation Offences
This domain tests who pays when something goes wrong: the carriage-by-air liability regime, the insurance rules that back it, and the criminal law overlay for offences. Questions often hinge on the applicable limit or on which instrument governs.
466 words, about 2 min