Responding to the endorsement of the EU-US Air Transport Agreement by EU Transport Ministers, IACA and its members remain disappointed by the failure to reach a balanced result for airlines on both sides of the Atlantic.

The deal gives US airlines full access to the internal EU market, whilst EU airlines are restricted to flying transatlantic trunk lines. EU airlines continue to be denied access to the US internal domestic market. According to the provisions of the agreement, EU airlines can only mimic access to the US internal market investing in non-voting equity of US carriers up to 49.9% (i.e. stocks without control in the airline).

IACA considers that a deal between EU and US can only be balanced if it results in equal traffic rights for EU and US airlines in each other’s internal markets, identical ownership limits and control possibilities, as well as equivalent access to governmental traffic.

Sylviane Lust, IACA Director General commented: This agreement does not qualify as an ‘open sky agreement’ as it is a way off from the original plans for an Open Aviation Area trumpeted four years ago by the European Commission. The Commission’s shopping list for the second phase negotiations remains substantial while the US side has obtained everything it wanted in the first phase.

IACA calls upon EU Member States to continue to put pressure on the European Commission for a genuine Open Skies deal, in which both EU and US airlines enjoy equal opportunities.