The BDS is a satellite navigation system independently developed and operated by China with an eye to accommodating national security and economic and social development needs. It is also one of the four major global satellite navigation systems recognized by the United Nations, and has already served users from more than 200 countries and regions around the world. The inclusion of BDS in ICAO standards is the basis for its global civil aviation applications. ICAO needed to verify the functions and performance that can be achieved by the BDS in the course of its development and confirm that the BDS meets the requirements for providing services for global civil aviation and is compatible and interoperable with other satellite navigation systems before it could add the standards and recommended practices for the BDS to its existing standard documents.

CAAC formally submitted an application for the inclusion of the BDS in ICAO standards at the 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly in 2010, and collaborated with the China Satellite Navigation System Management Office and other research institutions to establish a team to promote related work. After more than ten years’ efforts, including participation in 28 working meetings and over 50 technical discussions, submission of more than 100 technical documents and answering more than 2000 questions, the BDS standards and recommended practices were successfully incorporated into ICAO standards after being reviewed by appropriate technical panels of ICAO, ICAO Air Navigation Commission and the ICAO Council.