<P> Extract from ICAO News Release, 30 August 1956: </P> <P> Under Belgian law a birth aboard a Belgian aircraft is considered to have taken place in Belgium . Under British law a birth aboard a British aircraft is considered to have taken place in Great Britain . However, if the aircraft is over French territory at the time, the birth is considered under French law to have taken place in France . In the latter case the child would thus have two nationalities and perhaps even a third, that of its father, if the latter is a national of a third State the laws of which provide that a child always takes the nationality of its legitimate father . </P> <P> The situation would be quite different, however, if the birth occurred aboard a French aircraft in flight over the territory of a State other than France . A birth aboard a French aircraft over Belgian territory is considered to have occurred in France under both Belgian and French law . On the other hand, if the aircraft was flying over British territory at the moment the birth took place., the birth is considered by France to have taken place in British territory and by Great Britain to have taken place in France . In this case the child would have no nationality, unless the latter was determined by that of its parents . </P> <P> Similar problems arise in the event of a crime . Offences committed aboard a Belgian aircraft are considered to have been committed in Belgium and are consequently governed by the Belgian penal code . However, if a Belgian alrcraft was flying over Switzerland when an offence was committed, the latter might also be subject to Swiss penal law which may provide entirely different penalties . </P>

1963 convention on offences and certain other acts committed on board aircraft