USA

The Air Transport Agreement between the European Union and the United States of America took effect on 30 March 2008.

The Agreement makes it possible for EU-carriers to:

  • operate flights to the United States from any European airport,
  • operate without restrictions on the number of flights, aircraft or routes;
  • set prices in line with the market;

The information below is taken from the Air Transport Agreement between the European Community, its Member States and the United States.

Designation principle

Multiple designation 

Traffic rights for designated airlines of the European Community

The right to perform international air transportation between points on the following routes: for airlines of the European Community and its Member States (hereinafter Community airlines), from points behind the Member States via the Member States and intermediate points to any point or points in the United States and beyond; for all-cargo services, between the United States and any point or points; and, for combination services, between any point or points in the United States and any point or points in any member of the European Community Aviation Area (hereinafter the ECAA) as of the date of signature of this Agreement; and the rights otherwise specified in the Air Transport Agreement between the European Community and its Member States and the United States of America. 

Each airline may on any or all flights and at its option:

a) operate flights in either or both directions;

b) combine different flight numbers within one aircraft operation;

c) serve behind, intermediate, and beyond points and points in the territories of the Parties in any combination and in any order;

d) omit stops at any point or points;

e) transfer traffic from any of its aircraft to any of its other aircraft at any point;

f) serve points behind any point in its territory with or without change of aircraft or flight number and hold out and advertise such services to the public as through services;

g) make stopovers at any points whether within or outside the territory of either Party:

h) carry transit traffic through the other Party´s territory; and

i) combine traffic on the same aircraft regardless of where such traffic originates; 

without directional or geographic limitation and without loss of any right to carry traffic otherwise permissible under this Agreement. 

Nothing in the Agreement shall be deemed to confer on Community airlines the rights to take on board, in the territory of the United States, passengers, baggage, cargo, or mail carried for compensation and destined for another point in the territory of the United States. 

Capacity provisions

Each Party shall allow each airline to determine the frequency and capacity of the international air transportation it offers based upon commercial considerations in the marketplace.