ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the development of international civil aviation from its origins in the early twentieth century to the present. From the time when there were no passenger services, and obviously no infrastructure to support them, to the present with the sleek comfort, safety and timely efficiency of the A380 with its range just short of 10,000 miles, maximum capacity of 853 passengers and cruising speed of 560 miles per hour. Delivering that explanation is, however, fraught with difficulties because it is not just a story of technical advances. Planes cannot fly internationally without states granting them permission via air services agreements (ASAs) and such permission has always been accompanied by conditions. International civil aviation, like other aspects of international relations (IR), is highly complex. Clearly the Paris Convention had ensured that there would be a large element of sovereign control over airspace, entailing rather narrow-minded restrictions.
