What Are Air Services Agreements, And Why Are They Important?

Yesterday (2 June), Singapore and Ukraine signed an Air Services Agreement (ASA) to support air connectivity between both countries.

According to a press release by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the ASA allows airlines of both sides to operate unlimited frequencies of passenger and cargo services utilising third (the right of an airline to fly commercially from its home country to another country) and fourth (the right of an airline to fly commercially from another country to its home country) freedom traffic rights between Singapore and any point in Ukraine, with no restrictions on capacity, routing, and aircraft type.

The agreement also provides a more conducive regulatory and business framework for airlines to operate air services between the two countries.

What is an Air Services Agreement?

An Air Services Agreement is a deal between two countries that sets up rules for flights between them. It decides how many flights can happen, which airlines can fly, and what routes they can take. Think of it as a permission slip for airlines to fly between those countries.

To date, Singapore has signed ASAs with over 130 countries and territories, of which more than 60 are Open Skies Agreements.

What are Open Skies Agreements?

Open Skies Agreements are a type of Air Services Agreement that are much more flexible. They let airlines fly as many times as they want between the two countries that signed the agreement. They can even pick up passengers in a third country on the way.

In layman's terms, these agreements make it easier for airlines to operate freely between countries, encouraging more flights and potentially lower prices for travelers.

What are freedom traffic rights/Freedoms of the Air?

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialised agency under the United Nations that coordinates international air navigation, there are 9 Freedoms of the Air.

However, only the first five Freedoms are officially recognised under international treaty at the moment.

• First Freedom: The right of an airline to fly over a foreign country without landing
• Second Freedom: The right of an airline to land in a foreign country for technical reasons, such as refuelling
• Third Freedom: The right of an airline to fly commercially from its home country to another country
• Fourth Freedom: The right of an airline to fly commercially from another country to its home country
• Fifth Freedom: The right of an airline to fly commercially to two foreign countries, with the flight originating from or terminating in its home country
• Sixth Freedom: The right of an airline to fly commercially from one foreign country to another, with a layover in its home country
• Seventh Freedom: The right of an airline to fly commercially from a foreign country to another, without travelling to its home country
• Eighth Freedom: The right of an airline to fly commercially between two cities in another country, with the flight originating from or terminating in its home country
• Ninth Freedom: The right of an airline to fly commercially between two cities in another country, without the flight originating from or terminating in its home country

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