Aviation safety is of global concern. Yet 43% of countries worldwide lack the expertise and administrative capacity to ensure effective safety oversight of the aviation activities for which they are responsible under international law.

The book, published by Kluwer Law International, on drones entitled

Government leaders have been searching for words to condemn the actions of Belarus which intercepted a passenger aircraft flying from Athens to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, having a fighter plane divert it to Minsk.

A one-day conference was organised by the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University on 11 May 2023, in the lead-up to the 14th Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition. The topic of the conference was ‘Aviation Cybersecurity’, which was also the topic of this…

Professor Steven Truxal was invited to address the 15th European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) Forum of Directors General in Paris on 6 December 2022.

Leiden Law School’s International Institute of Air and Space Law visited key European aviation stakeholders in Brussels where IIASL staff and students were able to engage with those directly involved in ensuring that the EU aviation sector is safe, resilient and sustainable.

This year, the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) attended the first days of the 41st Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Prevention measures against corona are strictly enforced on board the train. In the aviation industry, however, it seems as if the rules that still apply on the train no longer apply to the aviation industry. Does the aviation industry have too much power?

The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation (The Hague CAA) successfully marked its official debut conference with the support of partners, which include Leiden University's International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL), the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI), and the Municipality of The…

The aviation sector is now fully aware of the major impact of the corona crisis. Airline companies are appealing to governments for help.

In ten years, it is projected that ten percent of global civil aviation operations will be unmanned. Are the current international aviation laws and regulations up to these technological developments? Fernando Fiallos will defend his dissertation on 14 November 2019.

Is aviation on a one-way journey or a round trip? That is the question Steven Truxal will answer in his inaugural lecture From Disruption to Innovation in Air and Space: Legal Solutions for a Sustainable Future on Monday 15 November. This professor of air and space law is positive. That’s one thing…

The International Institute of Air and Space Law is one of the leading international academic research and teaching institutes in the world, specialising in legal and policy issues regarding aviation and space activities in the broadest sense of the word.

The International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) at Leiden University has joined the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) as its newest Research and Academia member.

Over the last decades, aviation safety has improved strongly. As a downside, airline pilots do not have as many opportunities to develop through experience the competencies that they need in critical situations.

On 14 November 2019, Luis Fiallos Pazmino defended his thesis 'Legal Perspectives on the Cross Border Operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. P.M.J. Mendes de Leon and Prof. E.C.P.D.C. De Brabandere.

The International Institute of Air and Space Law, founded in 1985, collaborates with many world-class academic institutions.

The Advanced LLM programme has been taught since 2000.

Find out more about the career opportunities after finishing the Air and Space Law programme. The programme prepares you for a successful career..

On Thursday 16 November 2017 Thomas Leclerc defended his PhD Dissertation ‘A Corrective Approach to Reduce Aircraft Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Contribution to the Study of Interactions between Legal Orders of International Law’. The Supervisors are Professor P. Mendes de Leon and Professor L. Grard.

PhD defence

A master's degree in Psychology at Leiden University combines theoretical knowledge with academic and professional skills, making you an attractive candidate for many employers.

PhD defence

Our Advanced Master Air and Space Law (LL.M.) combines public air law, private air law and space law from a European and an international perspective.

How do governments distribute resources across economic sectors during a crisis? And why do some sectors receive more than others? The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgency of these questions. In this paper, we explore the extent to which a political economy…

The SAPPAO project aims to optimise the accuracy and reliability of predicting scheduled flight times. The full name of the project is 'A Systems Approach towards Data Mining and Prediction in Airlines Operations'.

Due to gaps in working conditions regulations, airline pilots and crew are suffering from fatigue and inadequate protection in general. Leiden PhD student Yuran Shi investigated how international law can help improve working conditions and safety in the aviation sector.

We are very proud to announce that the Geoff Masel Prize 2017 was awarded to Mr. Roberto Cassar, for his essay

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has reappointed Dr. Fang Liu of China by acclamation today as Secretary General of the UN Specialized Agency for a second three-year term, beginning 1 August 2018.

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has reappointed Dr. Fang Liu of China by acclamation today as Secretary General of the UN Specialized Agency for a second three-year term, beginning 1 August 2018.

On Thursday 16 November 2017 Thomas Leclerc will defend his PhD Dissertation ‘A Corrective Approach to Reduce Aircraft Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Contribution to the Study of Interactions between Legal Orders of International Law’. The defence will commence at 13.45 hrs, at the Academy Building of Leiden…

Benjamin Scott, master student Air and Space law in Leiden, was given a unique chance by Professor Pablo Mendes De Leon. Benjamin was allowed to edited “The Law of Unmanned Aircraft Systems”. In close collaboration with the professor, staff of the International Institute for Air and Space Law at Leiden…

In order to solve problems such as the refugee crisis, countries must work together at international level. This requires big changes in the way in which states make and implement policy. Leiden researchers analyse these changes and advise policymakers on best practices.

How to access the end-of-supply risk of spare pares using big data analytics

The institute that focuses on Public Law is as broad as the field itself. The Institute of Public Law has six departments, each with its own research agenda.

To be eligible for the Air and Space Law programme at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

This message is to remember his inspiring contributions to the global development of air and space law, the formation of innovative aviation policy and his dynamic commitment to the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University.

The Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Watermanagement Cora van Nieuwenhuizen has offered the first copy of the book ‘Behind and Beyond the Chicago Convention: The Evolution of Aerial Sovereignty’ to the Secretary-General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The International Institute of Air and Space Law was delighted to host the 14th edition of the Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition – for the first time – in Leiden! After three years of online mooting owing to the pandemic, this year’s competition was held again in person.

Friday 26 October the NLF prices were awarded. LLM alumna Annemarie Schuite won the 'Albert Plesmanrijs' for her investigation on Aviation Safety versus Medical Disclosure.

The 2019 Model ICAO took place from 21-24 May at the ICAO headquarters in Montreal.

On 30 October 2020, Dr Mark Noort successfully defended his PhD investigation at the London School of Economics and political science (LSE) into

The Univerisity of Sharjah organises a conference on February 22-23, 2017 ; Call for papers has started.

Leiden’s International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) was delighted to co-organise the 15th edition of the Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition alongside this year’s host, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City. The event brought together around…

Steven Truxal joins Leiden University as Professor of Air and Space Law on 1 December 2020. Truxal holds a BA in International Affairs with concentrations in international law and economics from The George Washington University, Washington, DC (USA), an LLM in International Commercial Law with focus…

As a student in Security Studies you are a socially engaged critical thinker eager to study real-life security cases in an academic setting. You focus not just on the broad context of these issues but also on the role of government, institutions and media. Want to know more? Sign up for one of our Open…

Climate change is affecting all areas of human life. 2024 has been the hottest year on record and natural disasters are becoming increasingly frequent around the globe. Every year since 1995, national delegations come together to address the climate crisis through the Conference of the Parties to the…

Like many moot court competitions around the world, the Leiden-Sarin International Air Law Moot Court Competition was conducted fully online this year. The International Air Law Moot Court is an unparalleled forum for bringing together students and aviation professionals who share a passion for air…

On Thursday 16 November 2017, Lalin Kovudhikulrungsri will defend her doctoral thesis entitled ‘The Right to Travel by Air of Persons with Disabilities’. The defence will commence at 11.15 hrs at the Academy Building of Leiden University, Rapenburg 73. The supervisors are Professor P.M.J. Mendes de…

Satellites belonging to American space company SpaceX recently came very close to a Chinese space station. Experts are calling for traffic management rules in space.