Legal Analysis of the Statute of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran: Existing Capacities and the Requirements for Revision

Abstract

Following the Civil Aviation Act of 1949 and its subsequent amendments, the Statute of the Civil Aviation Organization has served as the legal foundation for the institutional structure of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran, defining the principal framework for regulation, oversight, and policymaking within the aviation industry. Despite the latent capacities embedded in this document—including extensive statutory powers granted to the Civil Aviation Organization—the obligations arising from international instruments and conventions, together with the evolving and dynamic nature of the aviation sector, appear to have rendered a revision of this statute unavoidable. Through an analytical–critical approach, this study identifies the existing capacities of the statute while elucidating its legal and institutional gaps and challenges. It demonstrates that inconsistencies between certain provisions and the principles of regulation and accountability have constrained the statute’s overall effectiveness. The findings indicate that revising and structurally reforming the statute is fundamentally necessary to enhance transparency, accountability, compliance with international standards, and governance mechanisms—thereby strengthening the position of the Civil Aviation Organization within the national aviation industry and ensuring the safety and efficiency of the national aviation network.