ICAO Statement on State Sovereignty over Airspace and Safety Assessments

ICAO Statement on State Sovereignty over Airspace and Safety Assessments Article 1 of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation recognizes that every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory. 

The Convention contains provisions under which States regulate, manage, and control the use of their own airspace, including the decision to designate routes, restrict or uniformly prohibit flying over certain areas of its territory, the extent of air traffic services to be provided to international civil aviation operations, and under what conditions. 

In accordance with the provisions of Annex 11 to the Convention, States shall ensure the ongoing assessment of airspace safety and security. States are responsible for the provision of air traffic services in the airspace concerned, which shall maintain close cooperation with the relevant authorities concerning hazardous activities to civil aviation. Under the Convention and its Annexes, the State must provide timely and accurate aeronautical information to operators and regulators, including the status of services and facilities, and potential safety hazards and security risks. The decision as to whether a civil aircraft will be flown over any particular geographic zone is the responsibility of stakeholders involved. In particular, any State can issue any information to its own operators regarding risks for flights over or in proximity of any geographic zone including of another State.

01 December 2025