Originally Posted by
tightcircuit
MrSnuggles
"Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, territorial waters are waters extending up to 12 nautical miles from a coastal state, and they are considered to be within the jurisdiction of that particular state or ‘territorial waters’. If oceans, seas, rivers or lakes extend beyond international boundaries and are not territorial waters, they are classed as ‘international waters’. They are also referred to as the ‘high seas’."
It used to be 3 miles before 1982. States claim economic control out to 200 miles but that is not the same thing as territorial waters.
The airspace above 'international waters' is technically UN airspace under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO then delegates control of the 'International Airspace' to specific countries normally, but not always those whose domestic airspace abuts the international airspace. Thus the East Atlantic airspace is managed by UK NATS Shanwick and NAV Portugal Santa Maria and the North West Atlantic managed by NAV Canada and the US Federal Aviation Administration. There will be similar partitioning set up for the Baltic.
Above 6000ft in these ICAO/international airspaces the airspace is 'managed' (i.e. Controlled) airspace with a control authority responsible for giving a formal clearance to enter. It is
NOT like the 'high seas' where anything goes.