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Learn about the different freedoms of the air that govern global aviation, whose objective is to regulate the permits and scope of operation of airlines.
Sure if you are an aviation lover or read many of the posts that are generated in this blog, you saw the expression more than once: "and will operate with fifth freedoms of the air«. It is possible that after reading that expression you have been left with more questions than answers.
In this new technical special installment on interesting facts about aviation, I will talk easily and quickly about how to understand about these, let's call laws, that govern aviation and to what extent of commercialization, principally, can an airline fly between countries or within them if it were foreign.
The freedoms of the air in aviation
The freedoms of the air are born from aeronautical law and were created with the aim of guaranteeing the airlines of a State or another to be able to enter, land and market in another State. These are divided into three categories defined in the Manual on the Regulation of International Air Transport (Doc 9626, Part 4) of ICAO based on the Chicago Convention on 1944:
technical freedoms
We are getting into the subject with one of the most recurring topics in publications about new airlines and routes:
First Freedom of the Air
The right or privilege, in respect of scheduled international air services, granted by a State to another State or States to fly through its territory without landing (a.k.a. Right to First Liberty).
second freedom of the air
The right or privilege, in respect of scheduled international air services, granted by a State to another State or States to land on its territory for non-trafficking purposes (a.k.a. Second Liberty Right).
commercial freedoms
But that's not all, and freedoms also give principles of selling to airlines according to each of the agreements between the signatory states.
Third freedom of the air
The right or privilege, in respect of scheduled international air services, granted by one State to another State to put, in the territory of the first State, traffic originating from the carrier's State of origin (also known as a third freedom right).
fourth freedom of the air
The right or privilege, in respect of scheduled international air services, granted by one State to another State to assume, in the territory of the first State, traffic destined for the carrier's State of origin (also known as as a fourth freedom right).
Fifth Freedom of the Air
The right or privilege, in respect of scheduled international air services, granted by one State to another State to place and assume, in the territory of the first State, traffic coming from or destined for a third State (also known as a fifth freedom right).
Other freedoms or calls
The ICAO characterizes all "freedoms" beyond the Fifth as "so-called" because only the first five "freedoms" have been officially recognized as such by an international treaty..
Sixth freedom of the air
The right or privilege, in respect of scheduled international air services, to carry, through the State of origin of the carrier, traffic moving between two other states (also known as the Sixth Right of Liberty). The so-called Sixth Freedom of the Air, unlike the first five freedoms, it is not incorporated as such in any widely recognized air service agreement, as the "Five Freedoms Agreement".
seventh freedom of the air
The right or privilege, in respect of scheduled international air services, granted by one state to another state, to transport traffic between the territory of the State that grants the concession and any third State without the requirement to include in said operation any point in the territory of the receiving State, that is to say, the service does not need to connect to or be an extension of any service to / from the State of origin of the carrier.
eighth freedom of the air
The right or privilege, in respect of scheduled international air services, to transport cabotage traffic between two points in the territory of the State that grants the concession of a service that originates or ends in the country of origin of the foreign carrier or ( in relation to the so-called Seventh Freedom of the Air) outside the territory of the granting State (also known as Right of Eighth Freedom or "consecutive cabotage").
9th freedom of the air
The right or privilege to carry the cabotage traffic of the granting State in a service carried out entirely within the territory of the granting State (also known as Right of the Ninth Freedom or "independent" cabotage).
If there is still any doubt, you can leave it in the comments 🙂
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