Flight Operations

Annex 6 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation provides Standards and Recommended Practices on the operation of aircraft. 

The purpose of Annex 6 is to contribute to the safety of international air navigation by providing criteria for safe operating practices and to contribute to the efficiency and regularity of international air navigation by encouraging the Member States to facilitate the passage over their territories of commercial and general aviation aircraft belonging to other countries and operating with these criteria. The current Annex 6 Operation of Aircraft is divided into the following parts:

1. Part I – International Commercial Air Transport – Aeroplanes;
2. Part II – International General Aviation – Aeroplanes and Helicopters;
3. Part III – International Commercial Air Transport – Helicopters; and.
4. Part IV – International Operations – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems.

The Operational Safety Section is responsible for Parts I, II and III. To learn more about Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, please click here: UA

Among the areas addressed in Annex 6 are:

• Flight operations
• Performance operating limitations
• Aircraft instruments
• Aircraft equipment and flight documents
• Aircraft communication, navigation and surveillance equipment
• Aircraft continuing airworthiness
• Flight crew
• Flight operations officers / flight dispatchers
• Manuals, logs, and records
• Cabin crew
• Security, dangerous goods and cargo compartment safety
• Contents of an operations manual
• Air operator certificate (AOC), operations specifications and specific approvals
• Fatigue management

The Flight Operations Panel undertakes specific studies and develops technical and operational ICAO provisions related to flight operations, flight recorders, cabin and passenger safety, and the safe carriage of goods, including studies to ensure that proposed amendments to the SARPs reflect current and emerging requirements.

List of ICAO documents relevant to Annex 6:

• Doc 8168 Volume I — Flight Procedures Volume II — Construction of Visual and Instrument Flight
• Procedures
• Doc 9481 - Emergency Response Guidance for Aircraft Incidents Involving Dangerous Goods
• Doc 9683 - Human Factors Training Manual
• Doc 10085 - Extended Diversion Time Operations (EDTO) Manual
• Doc 10102-Guidance for Safe Operations Involving Aeroplane Cargo Compartments
• Doc 9966-Manual for the Oversight of Fatigue Management Approaches
• Doc 9640 - Manual of Aircraft Ground De-icing/Anti-icing Operations 
• Doc 9365 - Manual of All-Weather Operations 
• Doc 9625 -  Manual of Criteria for the Qualification of Flight Simulation Training Devices 
• Doc 9995- Manual of Evidence-based Training 
• Doc 8335-Manual of Procedures for Operations Inspection, Certification and Continued Surveillance 
• Dc 9574 - Manual on a 300 m (1 000 ft) Vertical Separation Minimum Between FL 290 and FL 410 Inclusive 
• Doc 10011-Manual on Aeroplane Upset Prevention and Recovery Training 
• Doc 10020-Manual on Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) 
• Doc 9965- Manual on Flight and Flow — Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE) 
• Doc 10000-Manual on Flight Data Analysis Programmes (FDAP) 
• Doc 10054-Manual on Location of Aircraft in Distress and Flight Recorder Data Recovery 
• Doc 10059-Manual on the Implementation of Article 83 bis of the Convention on International Civil Aviation
• Doc 9869-Performance-based Communication and Surveillance (PBCS) Manual 
• Doc 9613-Performance-based Navigation (PBN) Manual 
• Doc 9997-Performance-based Navigation (PBN) Operational Authorization Manual 
• Doc 10153- Guidance on the Preparation of an Operations Manual 
• Doc 9859- Safety Management Manual
• Doc 10159 Safety Intelligence Manual
• Doc 9284-Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air 
• Doc 9976 - Flight Planning and Fuel Management (FPFM) Manual
• Doc 9803 Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA)
• Doc 9817 Manual on Low-level Wind Shear
• Doc 9974 Flight Safety and Volcanic Ash
• Doc 10064 Aeroplane Performance Manual
• Doc 10110 Helicopter Code of Performance Development Manual
• Doc 10163 Manual on High Elevation Aerodrome Operations
• Doc 10165 Manual on Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System
• Circ 361 Automation Study Report
• Circ 347 Aircraft Tracking Implementation Guidelines
• Circ 338 Helicopter Medical Transport (HMT) Safety Circular

These Documents may be obtained from the ICAO store. You may search by Document number, or you may browse following the menus provided.