Why must an aircraft have the nationality of the country where it is registered?

In air law, the requirement that an aircraft possess the nationality of its state of registry is a fundamental principle established by the 1919 Paris Convention and maintained by the 1944 Chicago Convention. This principle ensures that there is always a state legally answerable for every aircraft, particularly when operating outside its country of origin.1

Assigning nationality serves several critical functions:

• Legal Accountability: It allows various rights and duties to be channeled through the state of registry to the aircraft, its crew, and its operators.1
• Regulatory Compliance: The state of registry is responsible for issuing or validating certificates of airworthiness, pilot licenses, and certificates of competency for operating crew.1
• Operational Oversight: It ensures that essential documentation, such as journey logbooks and radio licenses, is maintained and authorized by the appropriate national authorities.1
• Jurisdictional Clarity: It provides a basis for criminal jurisdiction, especially over the high seas, by obliging states to extend their laws to aircraft of their registry when they are outside national territory.2

By preventing statelessness, this system ensures that international air navigation remains orderly and subject to established legal standards.13