Principales and practices in air transports regulation

This new book offers the reader an advanced course in international public air law and policy and analyses the latest developments in the field of international negotiations on the exchange of route and air traffic rights between States and groups of States. Greater volumes of air traffic are encouraging moves toward liberalisation thus creating a need for the expansion of infrastructure, while leading to more competition in increasingly open air transport markets. Such competition must be both fair and healthy for all concerned.

1992 was a landmark year for international air law. The liberalisation of air transport in Europe entered its final phase as the year ended while the US Department of Transportation adopted its own definition of 'open skies'. Inter-carrier co-operation became more frequent as the trend to privatisation intensified. These moves are desirable as long as there are safeguards for the weaker air transport countries.

This book offers suggestions for the future of international air law as well as being a comprehensive analysis of the recent political and legal background and will prove invaluable for anyone with an interest in the development of the aviation industry around the world.

Professor Henri Wassenbergh studied law in Amsterdam, Paris (Sorbonne) and at Leiden University before joining KLM in 1950 as Secretary to the airline's first President, Albert Plesman, and Secretary of the Management. In 1954 he became a member of the Foreign Relations and Co-Operation Bureau and was appointed Head in 1967 and Senior Vice President in 1973. He retired from the airline in 1990. In 1977 he was appointed by Queen Juliana as Professor Extraordinarius of Air and Space Law at Leiden University and in September 1993 became Professor Emeritus. Since 1985 he has been Chairman of the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University. He held the post of Chairman of the Air Transport Commission of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris, until 1991. He has participated regularly as a Member of the Netherlands delegations to bilateral air negotiations.