Aviation liberalisation: What headwinds do we still face?

This paper, based on a published report by the International Transport Forum at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (ITF), examines the issues, or ‘headwinds’, preventing aviation from becoming a truly market-based sector. It paints a brief portrait of the history of regulation and deregulation in aviation and the role of competition policy in a liberalised aviation marketplace. It then focuses on the level playing field, which is often used to argue for protectionist policies and ownership restrictions on air carriers. The paper suggests that some of the controls on market access in place today may do more harm to consumers and the broader economy than good.