Open Skies

Open skies is an international policy concept that calls for the liberalization of the rules and regulations of the international aviation industry—especially commercial aviation—in order to create a free-market environment for the airline industry. Its primary objectives are:

  • to liberalize the rules for international aviation markets and minimize government intervention as it applies to passenger, all-cargo, and combination air transportation as well as scheduled and charter services; and
  • to adjust the regime under which military and other state-based flights may be permitted.

For open skies to become effective, a bilateral (and sometimes multilateral) Air Transport Agreement must be concluded between two or more nations.

Read more about Open Skies:  Background, First Step Towards A Civil Transport Regime, Civil Transport Open Skies, Key Open Skies Provisions, Military Regulation

Famous quotes containing the words open and/or skies:

    Rats!
    They fought the dogs and killed the cats,
    And bit the babies in the cradles,
    And ate the cheeses out of the vats,
    And licked the soup from the cooks’ own ladles,
    Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
    Made nests inside men’s Sunday hats,
    And even spoiled the women’s chats
    By drowning their speaking
    With shrieking and squeaking
    In fifty different sharps and flats.
    Robert Browning (1812–1889)

    Glory be to God for dappled things—
    For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
    For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim.
    Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889)