Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
International air service arrangements - sometimes referred to as air service
agreements
-
are not a new phenomenon (see, for example, Duval and Macilree (2011) or Cheng (1962) for
historical accounts). Such arrangements identify specifi c traffi c rights (often referred to as
'freedoms of the air') that represent particular routes an airline can operate (Cheng, 1962;
Dempsey, 2006). At present, thousands of such arrangements exist which, in aggregate,
determine the scope of fl ow of international passenger traffi c. The confi guration of these
agreements is manifested by nine so-called 'freedoms' (
Table 27.1)
.
Table 27.1
The nine freedoms
First Freedom - the right or privilege granted by one State for the airline(s) of another State or States
to fl y across its territory without landing.
Second Freedom - the right granted by one State for the airline(s) of another State or States to land in
its territory for non-traffi c purposes (e.g. fuel or other technical/maintenance reasons).
Third Freedom - the right or privilege granted by one State for the airline(s) of another State to put
down, in the territory of the fi rst State, traffi c coming from the home State of the carrier; that is, the
right for an airline of country A to carry passengers from country A to country B.
Fourth Freedom - the right or privilege granted by one State for the airline(s) of another State to take
on, in the territory of the fi rst State, traffi c destined for the home State of the carrier; that is, the right
for an airline of country A to bring back passengers from country B to country A.
Fifth Freedom - the right or privilege granted by one State for the airline(s) of another State to put
down and to take on, in the territory of the fi rst State, traffi c coming from or destined to a third State
on a service which originates or terminates in the home country of the foreign carrier (e.g. Air New
Zealand carrying passengers between Los Angeles and London on its services that originate in
Auckland). This requires separate arrangements between State A and State C and State A and State B.
An arrangement between State B and State C is not required.
Sixth Freedom - the combination of third and fourth freedoms, which Holloway (2003: 218)
characterises as 'resulting in the ability of an airline to uplift traffi c from a foreign state and transport
it to another foreign state via an intermediate stop - probably involving a change of plane and/or
fl ight number - in its home country'.
Seventh Freedom - the right or privilege granted by one State to another State, of transporting traffi c
between the territory of the granting State and any third State with no requirement to include in such
operation any point in the territory of the airline's home State. Seventh freedom rights are commonly
exchanged for cargo-only services as opposed to commercial passenger operations. In this case, for an
airline of A to operate services solely between B and C this will require an agreement between country
A and country B, as well as country A and country C, but not between country B and country C.
Eighth Freedom (also known as 'consecutive' cabotage) - the right or privilege of transporting
cabotage traffi c between two points in the territory of the granting State on a service which
originates or terminates in the home country of the foreign carrier or (in connection with the
so-called Seventh Freedom of the Air) outside the territory of the granting State.
Ninth Freedom (also known as 'stand alone' cabotage) - the right or privilege of transporting
cabotage traffi c of the granting State on a service performed entirely within the territory of the
granting State. Thus, an airline outside stated ownership and control restrictions (which would
otherwise allow it to be treated as a national carrier) can operate domestic services without initiating
or terminating a service in its home country. Although rare, it may be granted as a matter of foreign
investment policy rather than exchanged in air services arrangements.
Source:
derived from ICAO (2004), Holloway (2003), Cheng (1962), Doganis (2001), Duval (2007),
and based on Duval and Macilree (2011).
