Air services agreements

Air Services Agreements
(Air Transport Agreements) 

Commercial Air Transportation can only be performed if permitted by the states affected by the operations. In order to give international scheduled air services a stable legal basis under international law, states conclude Air Services/Air Transport Agreements. Usually these agreements are concluded between two state parties –bilateral agreements, but the agreements can also be concluded between several states - multilateral agreements. 

The Scandinavian countries – Denmark, Norway and Sweden – have a long- established cooperation in the field of air transport policy. Normally the Scandinavian countries negotiate in a joint delegation and conclude separate bilateral agreements with other countries with mainly identical texts. 

The agreements regulate – often in the part called ”Route Annex” –the routes and the points which may be served. An agreement would among other things usually regulate conditions regarding the number of airlines which each state party may designate. Also restrictions on the number of frequencies which may be operated or other capacity restrictions may be part of the agreement. 

Scandinavian policy is to negotiate agreements with as few restrictions as possible with an aim to opening the aviation market for fair competition. 

The bilateral agreements between EU:s member states have become obsolete as a consequence of the creation of the internal aviation market. In addition to EU Member States also Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway are part of that market. For air services within this market, see Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community which, with some minor exceptions, is applicable. 

Information and contact

Swedish Transport Agency
E-mail: trafficpermit@transportstyrelsen.se