TIACA urges U.S., EU to discuss air cargo liberalization
The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has written letters to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta, and Jacques Barrot, vice president of the European Commission with responsibility for transport, saying that liberalization of all-cargo flights should be the catalyst to reopen negotiations between the two sides.
TIACA is calling for the separation of traffic rights between the passenger and air cargo industry. “Bilateral negotiations between the EU and United States have stalled because of the complexity of liberalizing passenger movements. This is holding the air cargo industry back,” said Daniel Fernandez, TIACA’s secretary-general.
“The current system allocates traffic rights primarily on the needs of the passenger industry and is inconsistent with the needs of the air cargo industry,” Fernandez said. “The separation of passenger and all-cargo traffic rights opens worldwide opportunities for economic development, creates optimal use of limited airport resources and alleviates overcapacity problems,” he added.