Abeyratne R. Regulation of Air Transport: The Slumbering Sentinels

Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2014, 218 p., ISBN: 3319010409Every ten years ICAO holds a worldwide air transport conference. The most recent such event - the 6th Worldwide Air Transport Conference (ATConf/6) - was held in Montreal from 18 to 22 March 2013. The questions posed by this book are: are the clerical and administrative tasks for ICAO which were decided on by ATConf/6 (and other preceding conferences) sufficient to meet the needs of the people of the world for safe, regular, economical and efficient air transport? Should ICAO not think outside of its 67-year-old box and become a beacon to air transport regulators? In other words, shouldn’t the bottom line of ICAO’s meaning and purpose in the field of air transport be to analyze trends and guide the air transport industry instead of continuing to merely act as a forum for global practitioners to gather and update information on their respective countries’ policies for air transport? Shouldn’t ICAO provide direction, as do other agencies of the United Nations? This book addresses ICAO’s inability, unlike most other specialized agencies in their missions, to make a tangible difference in air transport development, through a discussion of key issues affecting the air transport industry. It also inquires into the future of air transport regulation.The Nature and Role of ICAO
The Problem
The Solution
Competition
The ICAO-IATA Synergy
GovernanceCompetition in Air Transport
The Safeguards Anomaly
Competition in Air Transport
Ownership and Control of Airlines
Existing Guidelines
A CompromiseConnectivity
The Declaration
The Tourism Connection
Airport SlotsThe Facilitation Connection
Carriage of Persons
Carriage of CargoConsumer Rights
Consumer Protection
Consumer RightsAirlines: The Other Side of the Coin
Airlines and Connectivity
Charges and Taxes: A Burden on Airlines
Economic Regulation and Security of Airlines: The Importance of Cargo
Economic Regulation of Air Navigation Services ProvidersThe Black Swan Effect
Epiphenomena
The Low Fare Business Model
A Sensible Approach to Fragility?Outcome of the Sixth Air Transport Conference (ATConf/6)
Discussions and Achievements of ATConf/6
Implementation of ICAO’s Policies and Guidance
A New Annex?