Flag carrier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A flag carrier or de facto flag carrier, refers to:
- A transportation company, such as a shipping or airline company, that is registered in a given state. Example: "American Airlines, while a private firm, is a U.S. flag carrier."
- A state-run, state-owned or state-designated transport company or organization, specifically (though not universally required) showing the state flag apparent for public view (state in this context used to mean any principality or country). Example: "Air Canada is its namesake's flag carrier."
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[edit] Importance of flag carriers
The term "flag carrier" is a legacy of the time when most countries had a state-owned airline. However, many of these airlines have been privatised and the airline industry deregulated, allowing multiple airlines to compete within each country's market. This has rendered the term less important than it was in the past.
The legacy of flag carriers can still be seen by the restrictions in international air travel through bilateral agreements between countries (see Open skies), exemplified by the Bermuda Agreements—a set of air services agreements between the United States and the United Kingdom originally signed in 1945 (Bermuda I) but revised in 1977 (Bermuda II) to redress the balance of air service advantage by limiting the number of airlines which could operate on certain routes.
Some countries (notably the United States of America) have legislation that requires the use of a national flag carrier, where possible, when travelling using government funds. One example is the Fly America Act.
[edit] List of national flag carriers
The chart below list the status of the three criteria to be considered a "flag carrier", designation as a national airlines either officially or based on history, whether or not it carries the national flag on its aircraft and whether or not it is state-owned.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Gulf Air is jointly owned by the governments of Bahrain and Oman, and is the flag carrier for both nations.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Whether or not airlines displays an official national flag in its livery, it is incorporated in the livery design.
- ^ a b c d e f SAS is partly owned by the governments of Demark, Norway and Sweden, and is the flag carrier for all three nations.
- ^ France: Air France was (and is still considered by many) the designated national carrier before it was merged with the Dutch airlines, KLM.
- ^ http://grupo.iberia.es/portal/site/grupoiberia/menuitem.5dcd178a7f0a73be19736c10d21061ca/
- ^ UAE: Etihad Airways is owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, a constituent emirate of the UAE.
- ^ UAE: Emirates Airline is owned by the government of Dubai, a constituent emirate of the UAE.
- ^ UK: Virgin Atlantic Airways claimed it was the flag carrier of the UK, as British Airways stopped putting a Union Jack in its livery in the 80s/90s. Sir Richard Branson put the Union Jack on its Virgin Girl. British Airways put the flag back after the flag was put on all planes of Virgin Atlantic Airways
- ^ USA: The U.S. government has never officially recognized a single flag carrier, but Pan American was widely considered the de facto flag carrier before its 1991 bankruptcy.
[edit] External links
- Wright State University Sample Federal funds usage for air carriers.
- International Air Transport Association Organisation formerly responsible for managing air services agreements and international fares.
