Who dares accept IATA’s challenge?
ISTANBUL – The greatest call for change in the aviation industry is with governments, says IATA.
“Re-regulation or re-nationalisation is not the right answer. But it may be the only one unless we change the rules of the game.
“The Chicago Convention is not the problem. It’s the bilateral system that was designed for another age. The freedoms of the air are only restrictions on our business. Airlines cannot look beyond national borders to manage risk, access global capital or consolidate.
“To fight crises effectively, brands not flags must define our business,†said IATA director general, Giovanni Bisignani.


“We must communicate clearly to governments the dimension of the oil crisis, the potential impact on the global economy if the air transport industry fails, the measures that airlines are taking to survive and the action we need from them.
“To achieve this, IATA is organising an Agenda for Freedom Summit in Istanbul in the fourth quarter of this year.
“The invitation is open to any country with the courage to change. Already 12 countries have agreed to participate,†said Bisignani.


“The agenda for Freedom Summit will build on the pockets of progress on liberalisation that we see around the world and drive even bigger change to overcome the limits of the bilateral system, free airlines from national flags, secure financial stability and create global opportunities.
“It’s time to tear-up the 3,500 bilateral agreements and replace them with a clean sheet of paper without any reference to commercial regulation.
“Airlines would be free to innovate, compete, grow, become financially healthy or even disappear.
“Governments also have an important role: to ensure a level playing field and regulate safety, security and environmental performance,†said Bisignani.


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