New book explores legal complexities of air traffic navigation regulation

A new book exploring the legal complexities of air traffic navigation regulation has been written by Francis Schubert, CANSO’s legal counsel, Former Chief Corporate Officer, skyguide, and Adjunct Professor, Institute for Air and Space Law, McGill University, Canada.

The book – The Law of Air Navigation Services – builds upon Francis’ 30 years of practical experience and legal research to provide a comprehensive description and explanation of the regulatory framework applied to Air Navigation Services (ANS).

Francis said: “To my knowledge, such a book did not exist before and so my primary objective was to fill a gap in aviation legal literature. Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) have attracted relatively little attention from the legal community even though there are dozens of books about the legal regimes applicable to air carriers, aircraft operators and airports.

“Over my 40 years in the industry, I have collected an array of articles, studies and opinions that are, in my view, very valuable to explain the air navigation services’ regulatory framework, and how and why it evolved over time. The book compiles all this material into a structured presentation.

“It’s aimed at individuals (lawyers of not) active in the field of aviation, including include ANS specialists investigating a particular aspect of their trade as well as aviation professionals outside of the industry who need to understand the ANS regulatory framework.”

Since its publication, the book has been well received among academics and professionals alike. McGill University’s Ludwig Weber, a former Director of the Legal Bureau of ICAO, said: “The Law of Air Navigation Services fills a gap in the available international air law literature. Francis has written an excellent, authoritative and comprehensive analysis for all parties dealing with the subject.’