Armament > Memorandum relating to the French delegation's proposals on the internationalisation of civil air transport (Conf. D. 56, paragraph 1)

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Hence the internationalisation of civil aviation answers both to the necessities of world
security and to indubitable economic interests, and it was this which led the General Commis¬
sion to ask the Air Commission of the Conference to study the possibilities, methods and
consequences of putting this measure into force.
The following study is intended to bring out the essential principles on which this inter¬
nationalisation should be based.
It does not constitute a complete and final scheme, but only a basis of discussion which
the French delegation submits to the Air Commission in response to the latter’s request.
From this preliminary study, it is clear that the internationalisation of civil aviation
does not affect the essential sovereign rights of States, and that all the difficulties presented
by its realisation can easily be surmounted.
It simply requires the generalisation—in a wider and, if possible, a universal field—of
the principles which have been accepted and are daily applied by the numerous countries
already signatories of the different international air conventions, principles which are found
in identical form in the C.I.N.A.1 and in the Pan-American or Ibero-American Conventions.
I. GENERAL.
The general aim in view is to prevent countries from utilising for military purposes civil
aircraft which their characteristics render suitable for warlike use.
A. The present study only deals with measures concerning transport aviation ; but,
clearly, these would not achieve their purpose if the free or unofficially encouraged development
of non-internationalised civil aviation allowed countries to constitute an auxiliary air fleet.
It is therefore necessary to supplement the internationalisation of transport aviation by
rules designed to prevent the conversion of national civil aircraft into machines capable of
warlike uses.
To this end the limitation of the tonnage per unit of national civil aeroplanes and of the
volume per unit of national civil dirigibles might serve as a basis for the rules to be adopted.2
Countries would forbid the construction, possession or use of aircraft in excess of the specifi¬
cations fixed.
B. As to commercial air fleets, the aim in view, together with increased efficiency as
regards traffic, leads to the internationalisation of transport aviation. From the general point
of view, this measure requires that international bodies should alone be authorised to foster
and develop this aviation.
As these bodies will normally have to take decisions affecting all countries, particularly
on questions such as the creation, modification, control and administration of air lines, all
countries will have to be represented thereon.
From the strictly economic point of view, the new organisation will have to entrust the
operation of air lines to suitable staff placed under the direction of the most competent technical
authorities.
Ftence, it is already clear that it will be necessary to entrust :
General questions to one or more international bodies ;
The operation of the lines to one or more companies placed under the control of
these bodies.
II. INTERNATIONAL BODIES.
Functions.
International bodies to be set up under a name such as “ International Air Transport
Unions ” will alone be allowed to own transport aircraft with specifications 3 in excess of
those defined in the future Convention.
These bodies will have a legal status recognised by the contracting countries enabling
them to register the aircraft to be internationalised and either to retain ownership thereof
or to convey it to the international operating companies.
Their functions will be of two kinds—i.e., strictly administrative and economic :
Administrative Functions. — Definition of rules for the preparation of certificates of air¬
worthiness for international and national civil aircraft ; issue of certificates of airworthiness
and papers for international aircraft ; issue of certificates and licences for the navigating
personnel of international aviation.4
1 Convention Internationale de Navigation Aerienne.
2 These criteria have been proposed by the French delegation, but the latter is quite open to argument
on this point. It is possible, indeed, that limitations in tonnage when empty and in total volume would be
insufficient in themselves to prevent the military utilisation of civil aircraft, and that another limitation
would have to be added—such as that of the engine power per unit, for example.
3 Civil aeroplanes of a tonnage in excess of * tons when empty ;
Civil seaplanes of a tonnage in excess of x’ tons when empty ;
Civil dirigibles of a volume in excess of x” cubic metres.
4 The supervision of tests for personnel and material may be entrusted to official or private national
offices duly authorised for the purpose.