Finnair will defend its operating rights
An airline domiciled in the European Union can operate freely within the entire area of the expanded Union. To date Finland, like other European countries, has been accustomed to negotiating bilateral operating agreements with countries outside the European Union. In future, regulation at the European Union level will bring the negotiation of aviation agreements between countries inside and outside the European Union under the European Commission. Existing bilateral operating agreements will remain in force in the new situation.
As a negotiating party the Union is stronger than an individual country and thus can strengthen the position of European airlines when negotiating operating rights. In some cases this may have an adverse impact on Finnair and may weaken the company's competitive position in relation to other European airlines. Finnair for its part will endeavour to influence actively the parties who negotiate operating rights in order to safeguard its interests.
The company's operations are subject to legislative changes, to regulations and to changes in airport charges and taxes on both national and international levels. Possible changes are actively monitored by the company and an effort made to influence them via airline industry bodies, such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Association of European Airlines (AEA). |