The economic regulation of air transport: From the Chicago Convention to GATS

The economic regulation of air transport is a field that was, in large part, left out from the Chicago Convention of 1944 drafted at the Chicago Conference, due to a lack of agreement amongst the participants. Since then, ICAO has made numerous unsuccessful attempts to fill this void. With the inclusion of air transport services in the General Agreement on Trade in Services of 1993, the subject has once again come to the forefront of the aviation liberalization efforts.; This thesis describes the economic regulation of air transport since 1944 as set out in the Chicago Convention, its consequences and the liberalization efforts that have since been proposed. The principles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) are presented as is the debate concerning their application to air transport services. The final text of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the Annex on air transport services is analyzed and its implications for the future regulation of air transport services are discussed. Finally, the question of the appropriate forum for the future regulation of such services is also examined.