论航空器用途与航空器法律性质的关系

The Relationship between the Use of Aircraft and the Legal Character of Aircraft

将民用航空器区别于公用或国家航空器是民用航空法得以制定和适用的前提,但如何判断航空器属于民用航空器或是国家航空器则一直存在争议。《芝加哥公约》确定航空器的法律性质所依据的标准是航空器用途说,但在实践中,航空器可能因为机上发生危害民航安全行为而改变原有的运输旅客、货物和邮件的民用用途,或在被劫持或威胁劫持时失去原有的民用用途,此时航空器的法律性质是否随之改变尚不明晰。通过对国际民航法律规则和实例的分析可以得知,民用航空器的用途确实可能因危害行为而发生临时改变,但各国仍应将此类航空器视为民用航空器并履行与之相关的国际法上的义务,航空器用途被迫临时改变时并不影响航空器的法律性质。

The distinction between civil aircraft and state aircraft is the premise of legislation and application of civil aviation law.But the legal standards to identify the legal character of civil aircraft or state aircraft remain controversial.The stipulation of the Chicago Convention on determining the legal character of aircraft is based on the use of aircraft.But during the practice,the civil aircraft may change the original purpose of transportation of passengers,cargos and mails because of the unlawful interference of the aircraft or hijacking or threat of hijacking.It is not clear whether the legal character of aircraft is changing accordingly.Through the analysis of international aviation conventions,regulations and examples,it is known that the use of aircraft can be changed temporarily by unlawful interference acts,but the contracting states of Chicago Convention should still regard such aircraft as civil aircraft and fulfil their obligations according to international aviation laws,that is to say,the use of aircraft does not cause any change of legal character of aircraft.