National Law

General (ICAO)

The Chicago Convention 1944 obliges every Contracting State to transpose the ICAO standards into national law. Each State sets up a civil aviation authority responsible for licensing, airworthiness, air traffic services, investigation and oversight.

Europe (EASA / EU)

Through the Basic Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and the Implementing Regulations (965/2012 Air Ops, 1178/2011 Part-FCL/MED, 748/2012 Part-21, 1321/2014 Part-M/ML/145/66/147, 923/2012 SERA, 139/2014 Aerodromes etc.), the EU has harmonised the key areas directly applicable law. EASA is the EU aviation authority, based in Cologne. National authorities retain the tasks left to them by EU 2018/1139 (licence issue, registration, national special areas, oversight).

Germany (national)

Hierarchy of legal sources

Top down:

1. EU law (directly applicable) — Reg. 2018/1139, 965/2012, 923/2012, 1178/2011, 376/2014, 996/2010, etc.
2. Luftverkehrsgesetz (LuftVG) — federal statute, framework law for air traffic in Germany.
3. Luftverkehrs-Ordnung (LuftVO) — regulation under LuftVG; national traffic rules where SERA does not already cover.
4. Luftverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (LuftVZO) — aircraft certification, registration, airworthiness, aerodromes.
5. Luftpersonalverordnung (LuftPersV) — national licences supplementing Part-FCL.
6. Betriebsordnung für Luftfahrtgerät (LuftBO) — national operations, where not covered by Air Ops.
7. Nachrichten für Luftfahrer (NfL) — binding administrative provisions, AIP supplements.

EU law has primacy over national law; national rules apply only where EU law leaves scope or delegates tasks to Member States.

Federal Ministry

The supreme federal authority for air transport is the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) in Berlin (until December 2021: BMVI — Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure). It exercises legal and technical oversight of subordinate authorities and represents Germany at ICAO and the EU.

Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, LBA)

• Seat: Braunschweig.
• Legal basis: §1 ff. LBA Act and §31 LuftVG.
• Tasks:
  • Maintaining the Aircraft Register (Luftfahrzeugrolle) (German registration marks D-XXXX),
  • Issuing Certificates of Airworthiness (CofA) and noise certificates,
  • Pilot licences and ratings under Part-FCL and national rules,
  • Approval of air operators (AOC) under Reg. 1008/2008 / Reg. 965/2012,
  • Oversight of design, production and maintenance organisations under Part-21 and Part-145/Part-CAO,
  • Cooperation in airspace surveillance (owner registration etc.),
  • Registry office for ownership and pledge rights in aircraft.

DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH

• Seat: Langen (Hesse) — head office.
• Legal form: Private-law GmbH wholly owned by the Federal Government.
• Legal basis: §27c LuftVG.
• Tasks:
  • Provision of Air Traffic Services (ATS) in German airspace per Reg. (EU) 2017/373 and 549/2004,
  • 3 FIRs Bremen, Langen, Munich plus tower and approach control at the major airports,
  • Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) — issuing AIP Germany, NOTAMs, NfL, AIC,
  • Air Traffic Situation Centre.
• 24h ATC emergency line: 0800 ATC NOTFALL (08002822633).

Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU)

• Seat: Braunschweig.
• Legal basis: Flugunfall-Untersuchungs-Gesetz (FlUUG), in fulfilment of EU 996/2010 Art. 4 (independent investigation authority).
• Task: Investigation of accidents, serious incidents and incidents in civil aviation (see "Investigation objective" lesson). Issues safety recommendations without apportioning blame.
• 24h notification line: +49 531 35489000.

State Aviation Authorities (Landesluftfahrtbehörden)

Per Article 83 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) the Federal States (Länder) are responsible for executing federal laws. Each Land has a state aviation authority (typically with the state transport ministry), responsible for:

• Approval and oversight of landing fields and gliding sites in the Land (large commercial airports remain federal responsibility where required),
• Oversight of club flying operations, sport-licence matters not covered by LBA,
• Approvals for off-aerodrome landings and take-offs, aerobatics etc.

Aviation Supervisor (Beauftragter für die Luftaufsicht)

At every commercial airport and many larger aerodromes an Aviation Supervisor is appointed. He exercises local aerodrome supervision and is authorised, among other things, to:

• Inspect aircraft and documents,
• Issue orders in case of violations,
• Report violations to the state aviation authority or LBA,
• In serious cases, prohibit departure.

The associated office at the aerodrome is the Luftaufsichtsstelle.

Notices to Airmen (Nachrichten für Luftfahrer, NfL)

NfL are the official, binding publications of DFS on behalf of LBA / BMDV:

• NfL I — administrative provisions, regulations, procedures (long-term validity),
• NfL II — notices of general validity (e.g. ED-R activation, airspace structure),
• Supplemented by NOTAMs (short-term, operational information) and AIP Germany (structured standard data).

Aircraft Register and Registration Marks

• Maintained by the LBA in Braunschweig (§14 LuftVG, §11 LuftVZO).
• German registration marks: D-XXXX, with the first letter indicating the aircraft category:
  • D-A... Commercial transport aircraft (> 20 t).
  • D-B... Commercial transport (14–20 t).
  • D-C... Commercial transport (5.7–14 t).
  • D-E... Single-engine aeroplane up to 2 t.
  • D-F... Single-engine aeroplane 2–5.7 t.
  • D-G... Twin-engine aeroplane up to 2 t.
  • D-H... Helicopter.
  • D-I... Multi-engine aeroplane 2–5.7 t.
  • D-K... Touring Motor Glider (TMG).
  • D-M... Microlight (UL).
  • D-O... UL gyrocopter.
  • D-V... UL helicopter.
  • D-Y... Engineless gyrocopter.
  • D-1xxx / D-7xxx / D-8xxx / D-9xxx Glider.
• The letter groups are non-exhaustive; in case of doubt the Certificate of Registration (CofR) and the Register entry are decisive.

ED-R (Restricted Areas Germany)

ED is the ICAO location-indicator prefix for Germany. ED-R denotes Restricted Areas in German airspace:

• ED-R 1, ED-R 2 … — military training areas, ranges.
• ED-R 6 etc. — protective zones around nuclear power plants, per §17 LuftVG / LuftVO.
• Activation is announced by NOTAM or NfL; permanent activation is in AIP ENR 5.1.

Other special areas:

• ED-D — Danger Areas.
• ED-P — Prohibited Areas (permanent), e.g. ED-P 27 (German parliament/Berlin government quarter).
• ED-RP — temporary restricted areas during state visits or major events.

Example permanent prohibited area: ED-P 27 over the Berlin government quarter (Bundestag, Chancellery) — overflight below the published altitude is prohibited.

Administrative and Criminal Penalties

§58 LuftVG (Criminal Provisions) — wilful endangerment of air traffic; serious violations are punishable with imprisonment.

§62 LuftVG (Administrative offences / Bußgeldvorschriften) — fines for violations of LuftVG, LuftVO, LuftVZO and EU rules (e.g. flying without a valid licence, breach of traffic rules, entering an ED-R without clearance, carrying incomplete documents). Fines up to EUR 50 000 (significantly higher in particularly grave cases).

§24 StVG analogue for the traffic central register — does not apply to aviation offences; the LuftVG has its own sanctions.

Insurance Obligation

Regulation (EU) 785/2004 requires liability insurance. National implementation is in §43 LuftVG together with §§102 ff. LuftVZO. Minimum sums insured: see "Insurance" lesson.