LIBERALIZATION OF AIR TRANSPORT: ANALYSIS OF TÜRKIYE'S BILATERAL AIR SERVICE AGREEMENTS BY THE AIR LIBERALIZATION INDEX

Abstract

By the development of the aviation industry, differences in countries' legal structures, policies, rules, and practices have led to the signing of international aviation agreements and the determination of common rules. In order to determine the rules regarding aviation, the Paris Convention, the first multilateral regulation of international aviation, was signed in 1919. After the developments in the world, as a result of the Chicago Conference, the Chicago Convention was signed in 1944.The Chicago Convention is important in determining and implementing international aviation rules. In the Chicago Convention, it was accepted that international air transportation services should be determined by agreements between countries. With this decision, bilateral air service agreements (IHHA) became the determinant of international air transportation services. Whether bilateral agreements are restrictive or liberal is important for states and airline companies. This study aims to determine the liberalization level of the IHHA, which Türkiye has signed since 2015. In this regard, the Air Liberalization Index (HLI), developed by the World Trade Organization (DTO), was scored by examining the IHHA according to the standard scoring system criteria. The lowest score received from the agreements made was 21, while the highest was 38. It has been determined that the contents of the bilateral agreements signed by Türkiye vary from country to country and are generally liberal.