‘‘This is good news for airlines, for businesses and for passengers. It is a very important, long-sought agreement that will establish a stable legal framework for a liberalized market for transatlantic air transport,” said Anton van der Lande, Chair of the ICC Committee on Air Transport, and Vice-President, Public Affairs International at UPS.

Air transport is an important facilitator of economic activity and an important contributor to the health of the global economy. Greater liberalization of air transport has become necessary to replace existing bilateral agreements, due to the rapidly-changing structure of the economy brought on by trade liberalization, globalization and e-commerce.

ICC has long advocated a US-EU agreement as an important step toward greater liberalization of trade in air transport services.

Mr van der Lande emphasized that there are many paths towards multilateral liberalization of air transport. Several solutions can be pursued in parallel.

ICC’s Air Transport Commission brings together airlines, users, freight forwarders, insurers, pilots and airports, and thus speaks for the entire air transport community worldwide.