The Aircraft Sector Understanding: New Financing Rules that Reflect the Aviation World of Today

In late February, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) held a signing ceremony for the new Aircraft Sector Understanding (ASU) that governs export financing rules for aircraft manufactured in all OECD countries and Brazil. Unlike a treaty, which results in countries adopting a document with compulsory obligations, this accord is a “soft law” non-binding arrangement. And yet, this multilateral gentlemen’s agreement, in its many versions, has been an effective tool in providing financing rules for civil and commercial aircraft. The ASU sets forth the most favorable terms that can be extended by export credit agencies to eligible parties acquiring aircraf

Beyond the Noise: The Airport Proprietor Exception and the Long Beach Airport Experience

This article addresses how the legal landscape has evolved for airports to regulate noise activity. Part one of discusses the federal role in regulating airport noise. Part two addresses the development of the airport proprietor exception as a legal pathway for airports to regulate airport noise. Part three provides a brief overview of the codification of the airport proprietor exception and the additional role that the federal government adopted with respect to regulating aviation noise. Part four addresses the legal action brought forth by airlines challenging the City of Long Beach airport’s restriction on flight operations. Part five will discuss the city’s Airport Noise Compatibility Ordinance. This section will also address how the city goes about enforcing its ordinance

Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities for States and Local Governments

The term unmanned aircraft system (UAS) refers to a remotely piloted aircraft, without an on-board pilot, that is operated via remote data-link transmissions and, in some cases, autonomously. Due to progressive technological advancements, UAS have become increasingly affordable in recent years, thereby bolstering their demand. As a result, the UAS industry is positioned to grow significantly during the next several decades as this technology becomes widely available for use by the private sector as well as state and local governments. In 2012, the United States Congress passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (FRMA) which requires the FAA to develop a plan “for the safe integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system” by September 30, 2015

Evaluating the Progress of the Liberalization of International Aviation toward Open Skies

The United States has engaged in well over 100 Open Skies Agreements with other ICAO member state partners reaching all parts of the globe. These Open Skies Agreements have established a practice of liberalization for airlines to have the most freedom to choose when, where, how often, and for how much they fly to locations. Despite a majority of ICAO member state partners engaging in Open Skies, there has been a reluctance of the member states to engage in the same practices with other aviation partners for similar access. A similar pattern is also evident for liberalization through the Freedoms of the Air, a key philosophical understanding set forth through ICAO practices describing the ways in which airlines can fly between the member states in the interest of international aviation. This paper evaluates the trend among the member states to engage in more liberalized aviation through their granted access to reduced government oversight of foreign airline access to sovereign airspace and the number of rights granted to their respective operational international partners. While the overwhelming number of agreements may not be fully liberalized Open Skies, there does appear to be an increasing desire to promote practices that connect member states at greater efficiencies and give travelers more options and more access to airline choice

The Impact of the Repeal of the Wright Amendment on the Dallas Area Air Travel Market

This project studies the effect of the repeal of the Wright Amendment on air travel in the Dallas market. In 1979, the Congress enacted the Wright Amendment, a federal law to govern air traffic in the Dallas metropolitan area. The Amendment limited flights (with greater than 56 seats) originating from Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) to only fly to destinations in Texas or its neighboring states. The law was fully repealed in October 2014, which allowed some airlines including Southwest Airlines (WN) to schedule flights and extend service from Dallas Love Field to the previously restricted destinations. This project mainly investigates the growth of Southwest’s operations from their hub at Dallas Love Field Airport after the Wright Amendment restrictions were removed. Additionally, the response of Southwest’s competitor American Airlines’ (AA) to this growth from their Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW) hub was also investigated. The study fosters a better understanding of how both airlines establish their strategic responses in this competitive environment. This poster examines pricing and capacity changes for multiple origin-destination markets originating from the Dallas area, before and after the repeal, to study the impact of the amendment’s abolishment

The Aircraft Sector Understanding: New Financing Rules that Reflect the Aviation World of Today

In late February, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) held a signing ceremony for the new Aircraft Sector Understanding (ASU) that governs export financing rules for aircraft manufactured in all OECD countries and Brazil. Unlike a treaty, which results in countries adopting a document with compulsory obligations, this accord is a “soft law” non-binding arrangement. And yet, this multilateral gentlemen’s agreement, in its many versions, has been an effective tool in providing financing rules for civil and commercial aircraft. The ASU sets forth the most favorable terms that can be extended by export credit agencies to eligible parties acquiring aircraf

EU and US Open Skies Negotiations

An analysis of negotiations to create a Transatlantic Aviation Open Skies Area