Chicago Convention

Chicago Convention (Convention on International Civil Aviation) is the foundational international treaty signed in Chicago on December 7, 1944, that established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and set the framework for international air transport. It has 193 signatory states.

• Established the 5 Freedoms of the Air (with 4 additional freedoms added later)
• Created ICAO as a UN specialized agency
• 18 Annexes cover Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for all aspects of aviation
• Each state has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory (Article 1)
• Prohibits use of civil aviation for purposes inconsistent with the Convention (Article 4)