The European Union and Qatar this week signed a milestone Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement, providing airlines from EU countries + Qatar with free access to each other’s markets, fewer restrictions, and greater air liberalisations.
Following a difficult pandemic, the EU – like much of the rest of the world – is only too aware of the need to rebuild economies. Global connectivity is one of the main drivers of trade and tourism and contributes directly to economic growth and job creation. The new EU-Qatar deal will focus on boosting passenger numbers, trade, cargo, aid, business, leisure and contribution to local economies across the EU, while providing a commercial boost to Qatar’s national carrier airline, Qatar Airways amid the expanded market access.
Currently, all EU Member States, except one, have bilateral aviation agreements with Qatar. These agreements have already completely liberalised direct traffic between Qatar and all but five EU Member States, for which some restrictions are still in place. However, none of these agreements cover fair competition, financial transparency, the environment, or social issues, which are critical for improving the sustainability of aviation and for ensuring a level playing field.
The new agreement, signed this week, will replace all EU Member States' bilateral aviation agreements with Qatar and provide a single, modern framework for air services between the EU and Qatar. Crucially: It allows Qatar’s carrier to enter European markets more easily.
More than 6mn passengers travelled between the EU and Qatar per year under the existing 26 bilateral air transport agreements with EU Member States prior to the pandemic. While direct flights between most EU Member States and Qatar have already been liberalised by those bilateral agreements, none of them include provisions on fair competition, or social and environmental issues, which the Commission considers essential for a modern aviation agreement.
In 2016, the European Commission obtained authorisation from the Council to negotiate an EU-level aviation agreement with Qatar, which started on 4 March 2019. While the agreement still needs to be ratified by the parties before formally entering into force, it will start being applied from today's signature.
Similar EU comprehensive air transport agreements have been signed with other partner countries, namely the United States, Canada, the Western Balkans, Morocco, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova, and Ukraine.
The EU hope that the new EU-Qatar aviation agreement will improve connectivity and provide “more options at competitive prices” for passengers. Following the signature of the aviation agreement, both parties will immediately be able to exercise, so-called third and fourth freedom traffic rights between any airport in the EU and Qatar and vice versa. While these traffic rights are already unlimited for most Member States today, market opening will be gradual for Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands for both passenger and cargo flights.
This means that EU and Qatari airlines will be able to provide the following passenger services from the start of the IATA winter season 2021/22:
• Belgium: 24 weekly services between Qatar and Belgium.
• France: 27 weekly services between Qatar and Paris, 14 weekly services between Qatar and Nice, 14 weekly services between Qatar and Lyon, and 14 weekly services between Qatar and each of all other points in France.
• Germany: 21 weekly services between Qatar and Frankfurt, 21 weekly services between Qatar and Munich, and 14 weekly services between Qatar and each of all other points in Germany.
• Italy: 84 weekly services between Qatar and Italy.
• The Netherlands: 14 weekly services between Qatar and Amsterdam, and 14 weekly services between Qatar and each of all other points in The Netherlands.
The agreement does not provide any fifth freedom rights for passenger services to Qatari airlines, such as for example the option to fly from Doha to Brussels and from Brussels to the US.
For air cargo, the following rights will be granted to EU and Qatari airlines:
• Belgium: 42 weekly services between Qatar and Belgium.
• France: 14 weekly services between Qatar and France.
• Germany: 14 weekly services between Qatar and Germany.
• Italy: 21 weekly services between Qatar and Italy.
• The Netherlands: 14 weekly services between Qatar and The Netherlands.
In addition, EU and Qatari airlines will be entitled to operate limited fifth freedom traffic rights for all-cargo services between EU Member States and Qatar.
The agreement also removes the obligation for EU airlines to work through a local sponsor in Qatar.
The EU says that the deal spearheads a new generation of aviation agreements negotiated by the union, which will ultimately go on to contribute to a more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable aviation sector. Aviation is arguably one of the world’s most harmonised sectors, and connectivity relies on market freedoms, partnerships, and co-operation.
In 2019, aviation enabled more than 4.5bn passenger journeys and transported over 61mn tonnes of cargo. At the end of 2019 there were more than 22,000 unique city-pair connections. $6.7tn in international trade moved by air in 2019. 3.6% of global GDP is supported by aviation. A third of goods traded internationally are brought to market through air transport, and 57% of world tourists arrive by air.
Following a difficult pandemic, the EU – like much of the rest of the world – is only too aware of the need to rebuild economies. Global connectivity is one of the main drivers of trade and tourism and contributes directly to economic growth and job creation. The new EU-Qatar deal will focus on boosting passenger numbers, trade, cargo, aid, business, leisure and contribution to local economies across the EU, while providing a commercial boost to Qatar’s national carrier airline, Qatar Airways amid the expanded market access.
Currently, all EU Member States, except one, have bilateral aviation agreements with Qatar. These agreements have already completely liberalised direct traffic between Qatar and all but five EU Member States, for which some restrictions are still in place. However, none of these agreements cover fair competition, financial transparency, the environment, or social issues, which are critical for improving the sustainability of aviation and for ensuring a level playing field.
The new agreement, signed this week, will replace all EU Member States' bilateral aviation agreements with Qatar and provide a single, modern framework for air services between the EU and Qatar. Crucially: It allows Qatar’s carrier to enter European markets more easily.
More than 6mn passengers travelled between the EU and Qatar per year under the existing 26 bilateral air transport agreements with EU Member States prior to the pandemic. While direct flights between most EU Member States and Qatar have already been liberalised by those bilateral agreements, none of them include provisions on fair competition, or social and environmental issues, which the Commission considers essential for a modern aviation agreement.
In 2016, the European Commission obtained authorisation from the Council to negotiate an EU-level aviation agreement with Qatar, which started on 4 March 2019. While the agreement still needs to be ratified by the parties before formally entering into force, it will start being applied from today's signature.
Similar EU comprehensive air transport agreements have been signed with other partner countries, namely the United States, Canada, the Western Balkans, Morocco, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova, and Ukraine.
The EU hope that the new EU-Qatar aviation agreement will improve connectivity and provide “more options at competitive prices” for passengers. Following the signature of the aviation agreement, both parties will immediately be able to exercise, so-called third and fourth freedom traffic rights between any airport in the EU and Qatar and vice versa. While these traffic rights are already unlimited for most Member States today, market opening will be gradual for Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands for both passenger and cargo flights.
This means that EU and Qatari airlines will be able to provide the following passenger services from the start of the IATA winter season 2021/22:
• Belgium: 24 weekly services between Qatar and Belgium.
• France: 27 weekly services between Qatar and Paris, 14 weekly services between Qatar and Nice, 14 weekly services between Qatar and Lyon, and 14 weekly services between Qatar and each of all other points in France.
• Germany: 21 weekly services between Qatar and Frankfurt, 21 weekly services between Qatar and Munich, and 14 weekly services between Qatar and each of all other points in Germany.
• Italy: 84 weekly services between Qatar and Italy.
• The Netherlands: 14 weekly services between Qatar and Amsterdam, and 14 weekly services between Qatar and each of all other points in The Netherlands.
The agreement does not provide any fifth freedom rights for passenger services to Qatari airlines, such as for example the option to fly from Doha to Brussels and from Brussels to the US.
For air cargo, the following rights will be granted to EU and Qatari airlines:
• Belgium: 42 weekly services between Qatar and Belgium.
• France: 14 weekly services between Qatar and France.
• Germany: 14 weekly services between Qatar and Germany.
• Italy: 21 weekly services between Qatar and Italy.
• The Netherlands: 14 weekly services between Qatar and The Netherlands.
In addition, EU and Qatari airlines will be entitled to operate limited fifth freedom traffic rights for all-cargo services between EU Member States and Qatar.
The agreement also removes the obligation for EU airlines to work through a local sponsor in Qatar.
The EU says that the deal spearheads a new generation of aviation agreements negotiated by the union, which will ultimately go on to contribute to a more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable aviation sector. Aviation is arguably one of the world’s most harmonised sectors, and connectivity relies on market freedoms, partnerships, and co-operation.
In 2019, aviation enabled more than 4.5bn passenger journeys and transported over 61mn tonnes of cargo. At the end of 2019 there were more than 22,000 unique city-pair connections. $6.7tn in international trade moved by air in 2019. 3.6% of global GDP is supported by aviation. A third of goods traded internationally are brought to market through air transport, and 57% of world tourists arrive by air.
* The author is an aviation analyst. Twitter handle: @AlexInAir