The Sources of International Air Law: Current Issues of Theory and Practice

INTRODUCTION. Within the context of the theory of ‘the concordance of the wills of States’ developed in the Russian doctrine of international law and on the basis of the contemporary practice of States and international aviation organizations (in particular, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)) the author examines the process of rule-making and the sources of international air law.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The present research has been conducted on the basis of international air law treaties, the ICAO documents, as well as the works of Russian and foreign international law experts. The methodology of the research is based upon general scientific and special methods, including dialectical method, methods of analysis and synthesis, deduction and induction, comparative legal method.RESEARCH RESULTS. On the basis of his research the author has been able to identify and systematize the present-day sources of international air law, i.e. the forms, in which the norms of this branch of interna- tional law exist. Theoretical and practical problems relating to the development and implementation of these sources of international air law have been examined.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. On the basis of the theory of ‘the concordance of the wills of States’ developed in the Russian doctrine of international law and the contemporary practice of States and international aviation organizations the following sources of international air law have been identified: (i) international treaties; (ii) international customs; (iii) ICAO international standards; (iv) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air. Each of these sources of international air law has been examined in detail both from the point of view of the rulemaking process and within the context of its role played in regulation of cooperation between States in the area of international civil aviation. In particular, the author shows the specific role in international air law of such traditional sources as international treaties and international customs. As for the international standards and the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, they are described as special complex forms of creation of norms of international air law emerged as a result of rapid development of civil aviation in the second half of the 20th century and its transformation into the global passengers and cargo transportation network. Overall examination of the currently existing rule-making processes and sources of the international air law demonstrates that they are rather dynamic and well take into account the contemporary development of global aviation and the interests of different States