The Airports Council International for Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC), represented by its Director General, Rafael Echevarne, participated on Wednesday, 26, in the “Competitiveness in Air Transport”, during the 18th Meeting of Civil Aviation Authorities of South America, promoted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and held in São Paulo. The meeting was attended by the Regional Director of ICAO SAM, Fabio Rabbani, and the Secretary General of ICAO, Juan Carlos Salazar.
On the occasion, Rafael Echevarne highlighted that liberalizing policies in aviation have always had a positive impact on the sector, especially for regional airports and the populations served by these airports. According to him, liberalization in the region is important to stimulate and revitalize the air transport market.
Echevarne also mentioned that there is a new liberalizing trend as a result of new bilateral treaties promoted by Argentina, but that competitiveness in the air market requires initiatives that go beyond Open Skies agreements.
“Liberalization does not mean achieving the fifth “Freedom of the Air” or g Open Skies agreements. Liberalization means achieving the eighth and ninth “Freedom of the Air”. It is a question of political will and, of course, of not protecting anyone commercially,” said the director general of ACI-LAC.
The “Freedoms of the Air” policy refers to a set of international rules that regulate the rights of commercial aircraft from one country to fly over, land in, and operate in another country. These freedoms were established by Chicago Convention of 1944 and include nine main categories. Theitava and nona “Freedoms of the Air” are related to cabotage, that is, the transportation of engers or cargo within a country by a foreign airline.
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