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Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.
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Air Services Agreements (ASA) cover the provision of air transport services between states. Such bilateral Agreements and their related Understandings and Arrangements, generally regulate the rules for airline ownership and the routes, frequency and capacity of flights by national carriers between the States Parties (and sometimes beyond those states). They may include issues such as the provision of ground handling services, the procedure for approving tariffs, the designation of national carriers, and aviation security and safety.
(i) Canada: New Zealand and Canada have an air services agreement, signed in 1985, but it contains a number of restrictions, e.g. on routes and the number of flights that may be operated. New Zealand and Canada negotiated for a new, more liberal, “Blue Sky” Air Transport Agreement on 14-16 August 2007. The negotiated text is awaiting signature but entered into administrative effect on 16 March 2009.
(ii) European Union: The European Commission was granted a mandate to enter into negotiations with New Zealand on a comprehensive air services agreement on 13 June 2008, which would add on to the ‘horizontal’ agreement negotiated in 2005. Formal negotiations commenced in November 2008.
(iii) South Africa: The ASA with South Africa, negotiated in 1997, was amended through the incorporation of new or amended articles relating to airline designation, aviation safety, tariffs, user charges and the route schedule. In addition, capacity for own-aircraft services was increased to seven services per week for the designated airlines of each side (up from three services per week). New Zealand and South African carriers may also now uplift supplementary traffic at all points in Australia for both own-aircraft operations and code-share services. Negotiations were held on 12-13 June 2008. Notes bringing the treaty amendments into force are still to be exchanged.
(iv) Turkey: Negotiations for an air service agreement with Turkey were held on 27-28 May 2008. Turkey had provided the draft text of an air services agreement for consideration by New Zealand ahead of negotiations. The text of the Agreement is finalised. The agreement is now awaiting signature and entry into force.
Lead agency:
Ministry of Transport
Contact:
John Macilree
Principal Adviser
Air Services
Ministry of Transport
j.macilree@transport.govt.nz
Ph (04) 439 9347
Fax (04) 439 9004
Sonya van de Geer
Principal Adviser
Aviation, Maritime and Security
Ministry of Transport
s.vandegeer@transport.govt.nz
Ph (03) 366 9306
Fax (03) 366 9317
