Annex 6 – Operation of Aircraft Part IV – International Operations ‒ Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems. First Edition, 2024
An aircraft is defined as “any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air other than the reactions of the air against the earth’s surface”. An aircraft which is intended to be operated with no pilot on board is classified as unmanned. An unmanned aircraft which is piloted from a remote pilot station is a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
Therefore, RPA are one type of unmanned aircraft. All unmanned aircraft, whether remotely piloted, fully automated or combinations thereof, are subject to the provisions of Article 8 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention, Doc 7300), signed at Chicago on 7 December 1944 and amended by the ICAO Assembly.
Standards and Recommended Practices for the Operation of Aircraft – International Commercial Air Transport were first adopted by the Council on 10 December 1948 pursuant to the provisions of Article 37 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944) and designated as Annex 6 to the Convention. They became effective on 15 July 1949. On 2 December 1968, Standards and Recommended Practices for the Operation of Aircraft – International General Aviation – Aeroplanes was added and, on 14 March 1986, Standards and Recommended Practices for the Operation of Aircraft, International Operations – Helicopters was also added. The documents containing these Standards and Recommenced Practices are now designated as Annex 6, Parts I, II and III respectively, to the Convention. All three parts, however, are specifically applicable to aircraft operations where the flight crew and, in most cases passengers, are on board the aircraft. The operation of aircraft which are remotely piloted is not addressed.
Annex 6, Part IV was created as a means of providing Standards and Recommended Practices for the operation of a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS). This first edition introduces provisions required for international RPAS operations and details the information that is required for a State to issue an RPAS operator certificate (ROC). These requirements were developed by the RPAS Panel on behalf of the Air Navigation Commission and adopted by the Council on 18 March 2024. They became effective on 22 July 2024 and applicable on 26 November 2026. Additional Standards and Recommended Practices covering other aspects of RPAS operations will be developed as topics mature. In the interim, for those aspects that are not yet addressed in Part IV, but for which Standards and Recommended Practices already exist in Parts I, II or III, it is intended that RPAS be operated in a manner that is consistent with those provisions, as appropriate.
