Disruption of Flight Security from National and International Law Perspective

It has been over a century since the first flight by an airplane and ever since, civil aircraft have been recognized as vehicles whose most outstanding feature has been their speed giving them a key position in transportation industry. Aviation industry, therefore, plays a crucial role in economic development in the world. This has caused many states and international bodies to be concerned about providing and preserving safety and security of the flights. This concern has been allayed by some domestic laws and regulations as well as over 23 international conventions and protocols. The law of “punishment for violating safety of aircraft and sabotaging the equipments and facilities of aircraft” passed in Iran in 1970 has defined and criminalized many offenses in spite of its brevity. The provisions of the abovementioned act are still applicable and have been a reliable source for judges and lawyers. Comparing this act with international laws, despite some similarities in between, there are some differences and gaps as well. Although some of these gaps have been bridged in the following years by such laws as “punishment for violators of industry” passed in 1974 and “Islamic Penal Code” in 1996, it is still necessary to gather the scattered acts regarding the subject matter of flight safety and security and recodify them considering current needs and requirements of offences and punishments.