What was the proposal tabled at the Istanbul Summit?
IATA’s Director-General circulated a paper proposing ways governments can provide airlines more commercial freedom to adapt to a rapidly changing business environment. It is posted in the library section of this website under First Agenda for Freedom documents. The proposal was for countries to unilaterally waive (not revoke) key clauses in the bilaterals that prevent airlines from having such commercial freedom, primarily in the area of ownership and control clause and traffic rights clauses. Countries would only suspend the clauses they choose and with the countries they choose, on a conditional, reciprocal basis. The goal of the proposal was to allow for quick progress on liberalization while giving reluctant countries assurances that they would remain in control of their liberalization initiatives.
