Chapter I. Features and basic aspects of airlanes and airports

1.3. International organizations on the regulation of airline industry.
There are organizations in every industry that regulate it. There are also many 
organizations that regulate the airport and airline industry. And they make a significant 
contribution to the prevention of accidents that may occur. 
The core principles permitting international transport by air were established by the 
Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), signed on 7 December 
1944. The Preamble to the Chicago Convention promotes cooperation and recognizes that 
“the future development of international civil aviation can greatly help to create and 
preserve friendship and understanding among the nations and people of the world”.
ICAO has established five Strategic Objectives (SOs) which form the foundation for all 
work undertaken by the Organization to ensure that air traffic growth is managed safely, 
securely and efficiently, with due respect for aviation sector’s environmental 
commitments, while fully capturing and realizing potential economic benefits to be 
generated from the increasing traffic:

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1.Safety: Enhance global civil aviation safety. This Strategic Objective is focused 
primarily on the State’s regulatory oversight capabilities;
2.Air Navigation Capacity and Efficiency: Increase the capacity and improve the 
efficiency of the global civil aviation system. This Strategic Objective is focused 
primarily on upgrading the air navigation and aerodrome infrastructure and developing 
new procedures to optimize aviation system performance;
3.Security and Facilitation: Enhance global civil aviation security and facilitation. This 
Strategic Objective reflects the need for ICAO’s leadership in aviation security, 
facilitation and related border security matters;
4.Economic Development of Air Transport: Foster the development of a sound and 
economically-viable civil aviation system; and
5.Environmental Protection: Minimize the adverse environmental effects of civil aviation 
activities.
In alignment with the Organization’s mandate in standard-setting, oversight, capacity 
building and assistance in relation to international civil aviation, ICAO Assembly 
Resolution A40-21, Aviation Contribution towards the United Nations 2030 Agenda for 
Sustainable Development, is the overarching framework of the Organization on triennial 
implementation guidance towards the achievement of the UN 2030 Agenda. This 
resolution, which was first adopted unanimously in 2016, at the 39th Session of the 
Assembly of ICAO, illustrates the close interlinkages between aviation and the SDGs, 
and establishes close linkage between the UN SDGs with ICAO’s five Strategic 
Objectives of safety, air navigation capacity and efficiency, security and facilitation, 
economic development of air transport and environmental protection. In 2019, the 40th 
session of ICAO’s Assembly reaffirmed ICAO’s commitments towards the attainment of 
the Sustainable Development Goals through Resolution A40-21. In its revision of the 
Resolution, the 40th Session of the Assembly of ICAO encouraged Member States to 

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report on aviation, as an enabler of sustainable development, within their National 
Voluntary Review delivered at the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable 
Development, and to include clear references the SDGs in their national aviation plans, 
with the objective of showcasing the contribution of aviation to the UN SDGs and 
national economies.
Under the umbrella of the ICAO Assembly Resolution A40-21 and in line with its 
Strategic Objectives as well as No Country Left Behind (NCLB) initiative, ICAO 
diligently advocates the benefits of aviation in support of the 2030 Agenda, assists States 
with implementation efforts through development of dedicated tools and services, 
facilitates capacity building initiatives, supports strengthening and fostering existing and 
new collaborations and partnerships, and conducts resource mobilization activities. The 
special needs and characteristics of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked 
Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have been 
given particular attention in the Resolution.
Activities undertaken by ICAO assist its Member States in enhancing their air transport 
systems and therefore fostering contributions of aviation towards sustainable 
development as envisioned through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 
These activities complement ICAO’s core mission and role in establishment and 
maintenance of international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), as well as 
Procedures for Air Navigation (PANS) as well as globally harmonized policies and 
guidance, which are fundamental tenets of the Convention on International Civil 
Aviation. Today, ICAO manages over 12,000 SARPs across the 19 Annexes and 5 PANS 
to the Convention, many of which are constantly evolving in concert with latest 
developments and innovations. SARPs and PANS provide ICAO Member States and 
other stakeholders the fundamental basis for harmonized global aviation safety and 

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efficiency in the air and on the ground, the worldwide standardization of functional and 
performance requirements of air navigation facilities and services, and the orderly 
development of air transport.
To accelerate the attainment of SDGs in the Decade of Action, ICAO aims to develop its 
2020-2030 Framework to Strengthen ICAO’s Support of Sustainable Development 
Goals. This framework, which is intended to be “rolling in nature” and subject to annual 
review, will outline direction and future objectives for the efforts of the Organization to 
further integrate the SDGs into its work programmes and plans, and enhance its support 
of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the Decade of Action. 
Sustainable transport and aviation are essential to achieving the SDGs and the 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through its normative work, oversight and 
technical assistance and cooperation, ICAO serves the people of the world in facilitating 
international civil air transport that is safe, secure, efficient, economically viable and 
environmentally responsible. In 2017, the Organization undertook a mapping exercise to 
illustrate how its work around the Organization’s five Strategic Objectives supports 15 
out of the 17 the Sustainable Development Goals. This analytical mapping, which was 
updated in 2019, provides a powerful testimony on just how deeply the ICAO Strategic 
Objectives and the SDGs are intertwined. In its outreach and advocacy efforts, ICAO 
continues to make reference to these synergies and linkages with the SDGs.
ICAO is also an official observer on the Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable 
Development Goal Indicators and is the custodian agency of global indicator 9.1.2, 
Passenger and Freight Volumes, by Mode of Transport within the 2030 Agenda 
framework. In this capacity, ICAO provides data and analysis to the annual Sustainable 
Development Goals Report, the indicator documentation and the online UN platform for 
monitoring the progress towards the SDGs. This, in turn, assists ICAO Member States to 

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monitor and benchmark air transport infrastructure and to facilitate financing and 
investments. These actions drive the sustainable growth of air transport and benefit 
multimodal transport connectivity.
In 2017, ICAO collaborated with other partners of the aviation Industry, to develop the 
Aviation Benefits Report, which illustrates how aviation is improving the lives and 
livelihoods of billions of people around the world and therefore advancing socio-
economic progress in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Report 
provides a comprehensive view of the importance of aviation in supporting the global 
economy and generating social benefits through the prism of sustainable air transport 
solutions. The second edition of this Report was launched in 2019 and provides a helpful 
and consolidated view of aviation’s current socio-economic impacts alongside challenges 
and objectives. It serves as a tool for ICAO advocacy efforts to foster engagement of 
high-level authorities, including those beyond the transport sector, towards air transport 
systems enhancement and prioritization of the sector in national and regional 
development frameworThe ICAO Business Plan 2020-2022 lays out priorities and a 
strategic direction for the Organization taking into consideration all of the work mandated 
to be undertaken by ICAO, regardless of source of funding. The ICAO Business Plan 
follows a Results Based Management approach, which integrates strategy, people, 
resources, processes and measurements to improve decision-making, transparency, and 
accountability. It responds to the needs and expectations of Member States, and includes 
a corresponding Regular Programme results-based Budget for the 2020-2021-2022 
triennium. In 2019, ICAO Evaluation and Internal Audit Office (EAO) conducted an 
evaluation of results-based management (RBM) in the ICAO. The purpose of the 
evaluation was to assess the application of RBM in the organization, identify and learn 
lessons in implementing different aspects of RBM thus far, including results-based 
planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting. The outcomes of this evaluation are now 
being taken forward. ICAO has carefully mapped the linkages between the SDGs and the 

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2017-2019 Business Plan five Strategic Objectives. The mapping revealed that ICAO's 
Strategic Objectives are interwoven with 15 of the 17 SDGs and the organization is fully 
committed to work in close cooperation with States, the UN and stakeholders to support 
the achievement of the SDGs. For three of the five Strategic Objectives (Safety, Air 
navigation Capacity and Efficiency, Security and Facilitation) ICAO adopted Global 
Plans to address its leading role in implementing activities on a result-based basis, with 
indicators linking to specific SDGs. The Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP), Global Air 
Navigation Plan (GANP) and Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP) include detailed 
guidance for States on how to comply with ICAO's SARPs. This in turn supports a 
sustainable aviation sector at both regional and national levels. 
Civil aviation plays an essential role in supporting assistance to States and regions 
affected by natural disasters, conflicts and pandemics. Various Annexes to the 
Convention on International Civil Aviation have existing provisions that stipulate 
requirements for States in respect of emergency planning and disaster relief. The 39th 
Session of the Assembly of ICAO adopted Resolution A39-24, Strategy on disaster risk 
reduction and response mechanisms in aviation, which considered the need for the 
establishment of a framework to guide the Organization’s response to crises and directed 
“the Council to establish a crisis response policy”, as well as develop a “disaster risk 
reduction strategy in aviation that would institutionalize and guide the Organization’s 
strategic approach and tactical responses to aviation-specific crises that could affect the 
safety or continuity of international civil aviation”. The Resolution also urges States to 
“take into consideration the disaster risk reduction priorities as contained in the Sendai 
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, as well as the best practices of 
Member States, in the development of their State emergency response plans as well as in 
the emergency response plan requirements for aviation service providers”.
ICAO spearheads the Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of 
Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA) that coordinates the international 

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aviation response to public health risks, such as pandemics. Through this effort, ICAO 
promotes the importance of preparedness planning and response to public health events 
that affect the aviation sector, such as an influenza pandemic, including COVID-19, Ebola 
and Zika. The implementation of CAPSCA supports the attainment of SDG 3 by 
strengthening the capacity of all ICAO Member States, in particular developing countries, 
for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. 
CAPSCA is a multilateral partnership that includes the World Health Organization 
(WHO) and other stakeholders in this endeavor.
ICAO developed comprehensive guidance on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for 
Humanitarian Aid and Emergency Response (U- AID). This guidance material is a 
resource for Member States to enable humanitarian aid and emergency response 
operations using UAS, and enable an expedited review process for urgent operations. It 
is applicable for States who are in the beginning stages of promulgating UAS regulations 
as well as those who already implemented UAS regulations. ICAO is also part of an 
international effort to identify and streamline emergency preparedness at international 
airports. This is done in partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination 
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and additional aviation and humanitarian partners.
While the efforts of ICAO regarding climate change are mainly focused on reducing the 
impact of international civil aviation on the global climate, the impact of climate change 
to aviation infrastructure and operations has also been identified as a significant risk for 
the aviation sector and ICAO’s work on climate adaptation is the foundation of risk 
preparedness. In order to ensure the resilience of the international aviation system, the 
role of ICAO in disseminating best practices and guidance is instrumental. Indeed, the 
ability to engage all stakeholders effectively, from the airports, airlines, air navigation 
services providers to the energy suppliers and local authorities is a prerequisite to avoid 

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the creation of islands of resilience, with no connection to the rest of the network. 
Therefore, ICAO has engaged with a number of organizations, including the World 
Meteorological Organization (WMO), in order to enhance the awareness and 
preparedness of all. In addition, ICAO recently developed a Climate Change Adaptation 
Synthesis report which is aimed at identifying the impact of climate change on 
international aviation infrastructure and services, the level of awareness of stakeholders 
and possible actions to enhance resilience. These guidance documents are relevant to all 
ICAO Member States and bring particular added value to States with limited resources 
and environmental capabilities, therefore serving towards the attainment of SDGs 9 and 
11.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body in the field 
of Civil Aviation, primarily dealing with safety issues. It is responsible for regulation of 
air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air 
safety, and airworthiness standards. The DGCA also co-ordinates all regulatory functions 
with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). 
Private operators were allowed to provide air transport services. However, no foreign 
airline could directly or indirectly hold equity in a domestic airline company. By 1995, 
several private airlines had ventured into the aviation business and accounted for more 
than 10 percent of the domestic air traffic. Today, Indian aviation industry is dominated 
by private airlines and these include low cost carriers, who have made air travel 
affordable. The Government nationalized nine airline companies vide the Air 
Corporations Act, 1953. These government-owned airlines dominated Indian aviation 
industry till the mid-1990s. In April 1990, the Government adopted open-sky policy and 
allowed air taxi- operators to operate flights from any airport, both on a charter and a non 
charter basis and to decide their own flight schedules, cargo and passenger fares. As part 
of its open sky policy in 1994, the Indian Government ended the monopoly of IA and AI 
in the air transport services. Private operators were allowed to provide air transport 
services. However, no foreign airline could directly or indirectly hold equity in a domestic 

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airline company. By 1995, several private airlines had ventured into the aviation business 
and accounted for more than 10 percent of the domestic air traffic. Today, Indian aviation 
industry is dominated by private airlines and these include low cost carriers, who have 
made air travel affordable.
Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) AERA, was established by the 
Government of India vide notification No. GSR 317(E) dated 12th May 2009 as a 
statutory body of Government of India. The Parliament of India enacted an Act called 
“The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008” (hereinafter to be 
referred as the “Act”). The said Act envisages the establishment of a statutory authority 
called the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (hereinafter referred to as the 
“AERA”) to regulate tariff for the aeronautical services, determine other airport charges 
for services rendered at major airports and to monitor the performance standards of such 
airports. The provisions of the said Act came into force w.e.f. 1st September, 2009. 
The functions of AERA, in respect of major airports, are specified in section 13 of the 
Act, which are as below: 
-To determine the tariff for aeronautical services taking into consideration the capital 
expenditure incurred and timely investment in the improvement of airport facilities. 
-The service provided, its quality and other relevant factors. 
-The cost for improving efficiency. 
-Economic and viable operation of major airports. 
-The concession offered by the Central Government in any agreement or memorandum 
of understanding or otherwise, and 
-Any other factor which may be relevant for the purpose of the Act. 

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-Determine the amount of the development fees. 
-Determine the amount of the passengers’ service fee levied under Rule 88 of the Aircraft 
Rules, 1937 made under the Aircraft Act, 1934. 
-Monitor the set performance standards relating to quality, continuity and reliability of 
service as may be specified by the Central Government or any authority authorized by it 
in this behalf. 
-Call for any such information as may be necessary to determine the tariff for aeronautical 
services, and 
-Perform such other functions relating to tariff, as may be entrusted to it by the Central 
Government or as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act. 
Today, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India plays a vital role in fostering a 
healthy competition amongst all Major Airports, encouraging investment in airport 
facilities, protection of reasonable interests of users, operation of efficient, economic and 
viable airports through regulations of tariff for aero nautical services/activities and also 
monitors performance standards at Major Airports.