Укр Eng
+380 (44) 278-80-24
“Almanac of Law”
  1. Home
  2.  ⇒ 
  3. Almanac of law. Issue 17 (2026)
  4.  ⇒ 
  5. Liability in International Air Law: The Problem of Fragmentation

Almanac of law. Issue 17 (2026), pages 504–509.

DOI: 10.33663/2524-017X-2026-17-504-509

Filippov A. V.
Liability in International Air Law: The Problem of Fragmentation

The article investigates one of the most pressing and complex issues in contemporary international air law: the fragmentation of the legal framework governing legal liability. The author points out that legal liability is a crucial component of the legal regulation mechanism, and any shortcomings directly affect the overall effectiveness of international air law. The research establishes that the problem of fragmentation manifests itself in two main dimensions. First, in terms of spatial application and the scope of entities involved, since international treaties apply exclusively to state-parties and lack a truly universal character. Second, based on the subject of legal regulation, these norms belong to different, disconnected institutes and fail to form a single, cohesive system. The article highlights that while legal doctrines have extensively studied liability within specific discrete areas — such as the liability of states, air carriers, operators for third-party damage, unlawful interference, and environmental damage –a comprehensive systematic approach remains extremely rare. The main purpose of this study is to isolate the norms regulating liability to determine whether they currently constitute a holistic legal institute functioning as a complex open system. They regulate the international liability of public-law entities, primarily states ensuring compliance with ICAO standards, alongside private-law entities like aircraft operators, air carriers, and perpetrators of unlawful interference. The author proposes an alternative classification of liability based on the object of international legal protection. This includes aviation security against unlawful acts; flight safety and air navigation safety; operator liability; environmental safety characterized by a two-tier structure under CORSIA; and air carriage liability. Despite extensive codification across dozens of conventions, a holistic system acting as a singular institute of international air law has not been formed. The existing framework is highly fragmented: well-regulated in aspects like carriage liability, but poorly defined in others. The author concludes that a cohesive liability institute does not currently exist.

However, forming such a unified system in the future is deemed highly advisable. This integration would overcome the pervasive fragmentation of the legal field, significantly improving regulatory efficiency. The structure of this prospective institute should mirror the framework of international air law itself, comprising sub-institutes dedicated to airspace use, security, safety, and environmental protection.

Keywords: international air law, legal liability, fragmentation of the legal field, aviation security, flight safety, environmental safety of aviation, liability of the aircraft operator, liability of the air carrier.

References

  1. Dempsey S. Public International Air Law. Montreal: McGill University, 2017. 1025 p.
  2. Abeyratne Convention on International Civil Aviation: A Commentary. 2nd ed. Cham: Springer, 2014. 962 p.
  3. Milde International Air Law and ICAO. 3rd ed. The Hague: Eleven International Publishing, 2016. 410 p.
  4. Abeyratne Liability of States for Acts of Terrorism. Journal of Air Law and Commerce. 2011. Vol. 76, No. 2. 235–260.
  5. Giemulla , Schmid R. Montreal Convention. Alphen aan den Rijn: Kluwer Law International, 2006. 1120 p.
  6. Dempsey S., Johansson E. Montreal Convention of 1999: A Commentary. Annals of Air and Space Law. Vol. 28. P. 1–32.
  7. Tompkins N., Jr. Liability Rules Applicable to International Air Carriage as Developed by the Courts in the United States. Alphen aan den Rijn: Kluwer Law International, 2010. 332 p.
  8. Milde The Reform of the Regime of Liability for Damage Caused by Aircraft to Third Parties on the Surface. Annals of Air and Space Law. 2008. Vol. 33. P. 305–334.
  9. Bogolasky J. The 2009 Montreal Conventions on Third Party Liability. Air and Space Law. Vol. 34, Iss. 4. P. 301–315.
  10. Abeyratne R. The Civil Liability of the Aviation Industry for Loss or Damage Caused by Acts of Unlawful Interference. Journal of Air Law and Commerce. Vol. 75, Iss. 1. P. 3–42.
  11. Abeyratne Aviation Security: Law and Practice. Berlin; Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2010. 436 p.
  12. Abeyratne Cybersecurity and Aviation: Law and Policies. Journal of Transportation Security. 2018. Vol. 11, Iss. 1. P. 45–62.
  13. Abeyratne R. Aeronautical Information Management: Legal Liability and Strategy. Cham: Springer, 2016. 245 p.
  14. Abeyratne Aviation and the Environment: Law and Strategy. Lake Mary: WestPoint, 2014. 418 p.
  15. Mendes de Leon P., Eyskens The EU Emissions Trading Scheme and its Application to Aviation. Air and Space Law. 2010. Vol. 35, Iss. 2. P. 99–124.
  16. Abeyratne The Law and Policy of Air Space and Outer Space: A Comparative Approach. Vienna; New York: Springer, 2014. 475 p.
  17. Grygorov O. M. Teoretychni ta praktychni problemy mizhnarodno-pravovoho rehuliuvannia diialnosti tsyvilnoi aviatsii: … d-ra yuryd. nauk: 12.00.11 / Kyivskyi natsionalnyi universytet imeni Tarasa Shevchenka. Kyiv, 2020. 516 s. (in Ukr.).
  18. Grygorov M. Mizhnarodne povitriane pravo: pidruchnyk. Kharkiv: Feniks, 2023. 166 s. (in Ukr.).
  19. Tsirat G. V. Unifikatsiia norm mizhnarodnoho pryvatnoho povitrianoho prava: suchasnyi stan ta tendentsii: dys. … d-ra nauk: 12.00.03 / Kyivskyi natsionalnyi universytet imeni Tarasa Shevchenka. Kyiv, 2019. 489 s. (in Ukr.).
  20. Ryzhyi V. I. Mizhnarodne povitriane pravo. Mizhnarodne pravo: osnovni haluzi: pidruchnyk / za red. V. H. Butkevycha. Kyiv, 2004. S. 428–480 (in Ukr.). Annex 17 to the Convention on International Civil Security: Safeguarding International Civil Aviation Against Acts of Unlawful Interference. 12th ed. Montreal: ICAO, 2022. 54 p.
  21. Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation: Done at Beijing on 10 September 2010. Montreal: ICAO, 2010. 22 p. (Doc. ICAO No. 9960).
  22. Protocol Supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft: Done at Beijing on 10 September 2010. Montreal: ICAO, 2010. 15 p. (Doc. ICAO No. 9959).
  23. Protocol to Amend the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft: Done at Montreal on 4 April 2014. Montreal: ICAO, 2014. 12 p. (Doc. ICAO No. 10034).
  24. Convention on International Civil Aviation: Done at Chicago on 7 December 1944. 9th ed. Montreal: ICAO, 2006. 110 p. (Doc. ICAO No. 7300/9).
  25. Convention on Damage Caused by Foreign Aircraft to Third Parties on the Surface: Done at Rome on 7 October 1952. Montreal: ICAO, 1952. 22 p. (Doc. ICAO No. 7364).
  26. Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Environmental Protection. Vol. IV: Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). 1st ed. Montreal: ICAO, 2018. 82 p.
  27. Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air: Done at Montreal on 28 May 1999. Montreal: ICAO, 1999. 41 p. (Doc. ICAO No. 9740).

Дата першого надходження рукопису до видання: 04.03.2026
Дата прийнятого до друку рукопису після рецензування: 09.04.2026
Дата публікації: 30.04.2026

Back to contents