Doc 7564 A9-P/2 27/4/55 REPORT OF THE COUNCIL TO THE ASSEMBLY ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION IN 1954 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION FOR THE 9th SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY Montreal, June 1955 INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION Letter of Transmittal (i) TO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION NINTH SESSION I have the honour to transmit, at the direction ·of the Council, its Report for the ·year 1954, prepared in compliance with the terms of Article 54(a) of th'e Convention on International Civil Aviation. It constitutes documentation for Item 8 of the Provisional Agenda, and will be supplemented, at the opening of the Assembly, by a brief review of the work of the Organization during the first five months of 1955, These two documents will be sent in due course to the Economic and Social Council in pursuance of Article VI, paragraph 2(a), of the Agreement between the United Nations and ICAO. The Report·has been prepared by the Secretariat and circulated in manuscript to the Member.s of the Council for their suggestions. The Council as a body has not formally examined or adopted the Report, but, as for several years past, has delegated to the President of the Council the authority to approve the final text after. considering all suggestions received, During the period covered by this Report the Council has held three sessions - the Twenty-first from 2 February to 7 Apr~l, the Twenty-second from 18 May to 23 June, and the Twenty-third from 28 September to 15 December. It has delegated to the President ·of the Council authority to act on a variety of matters as necessary during Council recesses. Edward Warner President of the Council THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Explanation of Abbreviations (iii} EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT ADR Ah h affic advisoz y routes AFI African-Indian Ocean AFTN Aeronautical Fixed Teleco.mmunication Network AGA Air Routes, aerodro.mes and ground aids AIREP Position, operational and .meteorological report, in abbreviated pl<Lin language form, from an aircraft in flight ARB Air Research Bureau ATC Air Traffic Control ATS Air Traffic Services BEA British European Airways CAA Civil Aeronautics Administratio·n of the United States of America COM Communications DF Direction finding DME Distance Measuring Equipment ECAFE Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (of the United Nations} ECOSOC Economic and Social Council EUM European-Mediterranean FA! Federation Aeronautique lnternationale FAL Facilitation of International Air Transport FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FITAP Federation lnternationale des Transports Aeriens Prives FOA Fureign Operations' Administration of the United States of America HAL Holding and approach to land HF High Frequency lANG International Airline Navigators 1 Council lATA International Air Transport Association ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization ICC International Chamber of Co.rnmerce IFALPA International Federahon of Atrhne P1Iots 1 Associations IFRB International Frequl!ncy Registration Board IFTA lnstitut fran~ais du Transport Aerien (iv) Report of the Council IIUPL Intez national Institute for the Unification of Private Law ILA International Law Association ILO I:nternational Labour Organization ILS Instrument Landing System IMCO International Maritime Consultative Organization I RASA. International Radio Air Safety Association IRQ International Refugee Organization ITU International Telecommunications Union KLM Royal Dutch Airlines LF Low frequency LORAN Long range aid to navigation MET Meteorological MF Medium frequency MID Middle East NAT North Atlantic NOB Non-directional Beacon NOTAMS Notices to Airmen OEEC Organization for European Econo.mic Co-operation OPS Operations PANS Procedures for Air Navigation Services PiA Pakistan International Airlines PO MAR Position, operational and .meteorological report, in figure code form, from an aircraft in flight RAG Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Control RAN Regional air navigation RTT Radiote letype SAS Scandinavian Airlines System SUPPS Supplementary Procedures for Air Navigation Services TAB Technical Assistance Board TAG Technical Assistance Committee TWA Trans-World Airlines UN United Nations UNECE United Nations Econo.mic Commission for Europe Unesco United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund UPU Universal Postal Union Explanation of Abbreviations (v) USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics VHF Very high frequency VOLlVIET Meteorological information broadcast from ground stations to aircraft in flight VOR VHF Omni-range WHO World Health Organization WMO World Meteorological Organization THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I -CIVIL AVIATION IN 1954. 1 1. Introduction • • • 1 2. Traffic Trends . 1 3. Safety Record • 6 4. Financial Trends. 6 5. The Strasbourg Conference - Co-ordination of European Aviation ...... , "' ... , .. , , , , . .• , , . , 9 6. Resumption of Aviation by Germany and Japan •• 11 7. New Services. • . • •• ,' 12 8. Helicopter Developments, • . ., . 13 9. New Equipment. • . , 14 10. Other Developments in Air Navigation 16 CHAPTER II -AIR NAVIGATION •..... 19 1. International Standards, Recommended Practices and Procedure's ..• 20 2. Meetings ••........• , .. , 24 3. Implementation ..• , · ..... , . , 29 4. Special Projects and Other Matters . 31 CHAPTER III - AIR TRANSPORT ...•.•...••.. 33 1. Charges for Airport~ and Air Navigation Facilities • , 33 2. Conference on the Co-ordina.tion of Air Transport in Europe . , . · . 33 3. Commercial Rights in International Air Transport .• 34 4. The Facilitation Programme , • 36 5. Air Transport Statistics •..•...••.••••• 36 6. International Air Mail • . • • . • . • • • • • , 36 CHAPTER IV- FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL AID THROUGH ICAO IN THE PROVISION OF AIR NAVIGATiON FACILITIES AND SERVICES 38 1. North Atlantic Ocean Stations Agreement, 1954 ••••• 38 2. Arrangements on Air Navigation Services in Iceland and. in Greenland and the Faroes .••....•.•...• 42 3. Attempt to Arrange for the Joint Financing of an Upper Air Station at Tegucigalpa, Honduras .• . • • • ; . • • 43 CHAPTER V - ICAO ACTIVITIES UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS EXPANDED PROGRAMME OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • • • , • • • 44 1. Introduction. • . ~ 44 2. · Programme Planning.. , • • • 44 3. Finance.· .. , . , , .... 45 4. Country-by-Country Review of ICAO Technical Assistance Activities , . , ..... , , , , . , .. , ..... , ... 45 vii (viii} Report of the C.ouncil Page CHAPTER VI - CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL QUESTIONS. • 55 1. Status of the Chicago Acts • . • . 55 2. Amendment and Interpretation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation . • • . • • 55 3. Conventions on Private Air Law Concluded under the Auspices of ICAO. : . • . • . • • . 57 4. Work of the Legal Committee. , •.• , , • • • 58 5. Settlement of Differences between States. 59. 6. Privileges, Immunities and Facilities for the Organization .• , . • . • . 59 7. Registration of Agreements and Arrangements.· 61 8. Collection of National" Aviation Laws and Regulations 61 CHAPTER VII- RELATIONS WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 62 CHAPTER VIII- ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE. 65 1. Organization 65 2. Personnel .. 67 3. Trainee Programme.· 67 4. Languages and Publications . 67 s. Premises 67 6. Finance .......... 69 APPENDICES 1. Status of the Chicago Agreements, 31 December 1954 71 2. Membership of the Council, its Committees and the Air Navigation Commission • . • . • . 73 3. ICAO Meeti~gs in 1954 .. • • . • . 76 4. ICAO Meetings Scheduled in 1955. , .•.... , . • . 77 5. Participation of States and International Organizations in ICAO Meetings in 1954. • 78 6. Scale of Contributions for 1955, with 1954 Scale for Comparison. • . • 79 7. Review of Action Taken on Resolutions and Recommendations of the Assembly . • . • . • . 80 CHAPTER I CIVIL AVIATION IN 1954 1. - Introduction The state of civil air transport in 1954 can be dramatically displayed by a historical com­ paris.on directed at the scene of its beginnings. What was probably the first international civil pass~nger flight in the world took off from Toussus-le-Noble, southeast of Paris, on 8 February 1919 at 12 o'clock noon, and flew on a course over Versailles, Paris, Amiens, Boulogne and Folkestone to land at ·2:30p.m. at Kenley near London. The aircraft was a Farman Goliath, powered by two engines of 260 h. p. each, with an all-up weight of 4, 500 kilograms {10, 000 lbs.} and a speed of 160 kilometres (100 miles) per hour. The pilot was Lucien Bossoutrot, and there was at least one other .member of the crew, a mechanic. Between 11 and 15 passengers were carried, and the lunch given the.m during the flight was probably the first such .meal served on a passenger air service. Six months later, on 25 August 1919, the world's first regular daily passenger service was begun between London and Paris by a British company, with a converted war-time single-,engine aircraft. Thirty-five years later, in the month of August 1954, scheduled cross-Channel services by French and British airlines alone were approaching the figure of 1, 500 flights per week. Regular mixed services, carrying passengers, cargo and mail, accounted for 660 flights with an aggregate of some 23,650 seats. Of these, 234 were first-class and 426 were tourist-class flights (including 93 night tourist flights). Combined car-ferry and passenger services, not included in these totals, were advertised. at frequencies of as