The Agenda for Freedom initiative launched in 2008 aimed to encourage governments from across the world to grant airlines the commercial freedom to operate like any other global business. The ultimate objective was to support the airline business and lead to better financial performance of the aviation industry.
This initiative is no longer being actively pursued by IATA. This page is the official repository for the signatories to the Statement of Policy Principles. The document, however, remains open for other states to join the initiative
Signatories to the Agenda for Freedom initiative, also endorsed by the EU
- Bahrain
- Chile
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Panama
- Qatar
- Singapore
- Switzerland
- United Arab Emirates
- USA
The Statement of Policy Principles (pdf) shows the original signatories as of November 2009. Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Qatar endorsed the Statement of Policy Principles on a later date.
Why is the Agenda for Freedom important?
The way airlines do business is regulated by a web of bilateral Government-to-Government treaties (Air Services Agreements). These agreements severely restrict cross border consolidation through restrictive ownership and control clauses. Signatories agree not to stand in the way of states that choose to use the policy principles to liberalize their approach to market access and/or to ownership and control rules.
For more information, please see this press release: Governments Sign Principles for Liberalization - Historic Achievement (Nov. 2009)