Transport CommitteeSupplementary written evidence from Department for Transport (AS 087B)

Thank you for your letter of 15 January 2013 asking for information on the UK’s bilateral Air Services Agreements in advance of my appearance before your Committee on 11 February.

You asked for:

(a)a list of those countries for which bilateral Air Services Agreements have been superseded by liberal multilateral agreements at the EU level; and

(b)a list of those countries where air service arrangements are still covered by bilateral Air Service Agreements, stating in summary the nature of:

(i)restrictions on the UK airports which can be served and, if so, which;

(ii)restrictions on frequency of service offered by airlines of either side and whether all frequencies have been taken up by UK and foreign airlines; and

(iii)restrictions on fifth freedom rights available to UK and foreign airlines.

As far as (a) is concerned, liberal multilateral agreements at the EU-level have been signed with Canada, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova, Morocco and the United States. These agreements generally remove all restrictions on air services between the EU and the country concerned; they also remove all restrictions on fifth freedom rights and in most cases remove higher restrictions on all-cargo services. In recent years the Council has given less liberal mandates for the Commission’s air services negotiations. However, Member States’ rights are preserved where the rights they have previously agreed bilaterally are more liberal than those granted by an EU-level agreement.

In addition to the EU-level agreements that are in full or provisional effect the following are under active negotiation following the grant of a mandate by the Member States: Algeria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Israel, Lebanon, New Zealand, Tunisia and Ukraine.

12 February 2013