Historical Overview
Definition of Personnel Licensing
The Act of Licensing
Requirements for Issuing a Licence
Publications
Frequently Asked Questions

Personnel licensing is almost as old as aviation itself. The first powered flight by the Wright brothers took place in 1903. Very little flying was however undertaken for the next three years. More intense flying started in 1906 and in less than 3 years the first licences were issued. The first international licensing Standards followed 10 years later in 1919. They were established as Annex E of the Paris Convention, which was the predecessor of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The early Standards were essentially based on experience and medical fitness.

The first ICAO Personnel Licensing Standards were adopted by the Council on 14 April 1948 and were designated as Annex 1 (Personnel Licensing) to the Convention. They became applicable on 15 September 1948.

The most recent amendment to Annex 1, was Amendment 168 (Annex 1, Tenth Edition, July 2006), adopted by the Council on 10 March 2007.

A licence is the means by which a State authorizes a licence holder to perform specific activities which unless performed properly, could jeopardize the safety of aviation. The licence provides the evidence that the issuing State is satisfied that the holder has demonstrated an internationally acceptable degree of competency.

When a Contracting State issues a licence - the act of licensing - the State authorizes the licence holder to perform specific activities, related to the operation of aircraft, which would otherwise be prohibited due to the potentially serious results of such activities being performed improperly. To ensure that the effectiveness of such authorization by the State is not jeopardized, it is evident that the licence holder must be subject to certain constraints.

As far as international civil aviation is concerned, licensing is governed by a few important principles that are laid down in the Chicago Convention:

• every flight crew member engaged in international civil aviation shall hold a licence issued, or rendered valid, by the State of Registry of the aircraft which is flown (Article 32 a). Under Article 83 bis of the Convention, the State of Registry has the possibility to enter into an agreement with the State of the Operator to transfer some of its functions and responsibilities including Personnel Licensing;
   
• Contracting States will accept licences issued by any other States provided that the licence meets or exceeds the International Licensing Standards of Annex 1 (Article 33). It must be noted that the acceptance is limited to the use of aircraft registered in the State that has issued the licence. There is no obligation for a State to validate a licence issued by another State;
   
• when a licence is issued which does not meet all of the Annex 1 requirements, the licences should be endorsed with the list of points which are not up to the Standard (Article 39 b); and
   
• when a licence is so endorsed, the holder can fly internationally only with the authorization of the States whose territory is entered (Article 40).

Before issuing a licence, a State must satisfy itself that the applicant is medically fit, when applicable, and has a proper degree of competency to perform the authorized activities. Attainment of such competency comes primarily from training supplemented, of course, by experience. However, even though the training is conducted on properly organized courses, it is still necessary for the State to be able to confirm that the applicant has satisfactorily completed his training and does in fact meet the required degree of competency. This can only be done by an examination of the applicant's knowledge and proficiency. To ensure continued competency, it is essential for the licence holder to have had recent experience in the activities for which he has been authorized and to prove his competency from time to time. It is also in the interest of safety that he should undergo periodic refresher training.

There is another aspect of licensing which has very significant importance and that is documentary proof. Since aviation by its very nature serves to bridge distances, it is important that one Contracting State can be satisfied as to the qualifications of the holders of licences issued by another State. Therefore, in developing their licensing system, States must ensure that their licences and associated documents, which must include all relevant information on qualifications, currency, endorsements and limitations, can be recognized by other States as valid documents issued by a Contracting State.

To meet these requirements, Annex 1 specifies Standards and Recommended Practices covering medical fitness, knowledge, experience, flight instruction, and skill. States will thus be able to issue licences which can be seen to be valid and are based on a common standard, and with the licence holders having a demonstrated and comparable degree of competency and proof of competency. The aim of the licensing provisions of Annex 1 is to promote safety in the operation of aircraft, and by accepting and adopting the provisions of this Annex, each Contracting State will assist in the attainment of this aim.

For these personnel, and for others who are connected with aviation activities but are not required to be licensed in accordance with international Standards, the FLS Section has prepared appropriate guidance material in the series of ICAO Training Manuals, Doc 7192-AN/857. Contracting States are urged to base their training requirements on these manuals and in this way encourage uniformity of competency throughout the aviation community. Therefore, it can be seen that Annex 1 and the Training Manuals together are the vehicles used to meet the responsibilities of the Section.

The following publications concerning licensing are available:

• Annex 1 — Personnel Licensing
  This Annex contains definitions and general rules concerning licences and ratings for pilots, flight crew members and other personnel as well as specifications and medical provisions.
• Manual of Procedures for Establishment and Management of a State's Personnel Licensing System (Doc 9379)
  This manual contains guidance material for States about the procedures for the issuance and maintenance of licences to fulfil their obligations specified in ICAO Annex 1.
• Manual on the Approval of Flight Crew Training Organizations (Doc 9841)

These publications are listed in the Catalogue of ICAO Publications and Audio-Visual Training Aids and can be ordered from the Document Sales Unit.

ICAO receives many requests for information on licensing, which are answered under the section of Frequently Asked Questions.