Cabotage

Cabotage is the transport of passengers or cargo between two points within the same country by a foreign airline. It is prohibited or heavily restricted in virtually all countries worldwide, protecting domestic airlines from foreign competition on internal routes.

• Originates from maritime law — applied to aviation since the Chicago Convention
• The 8th and 9th Freedoms of the Air relate to cabotage rights
• No country routinely grants full cabotage rights to foreign carriers
• The EU Single Aviation Market is a notable exception — any EU airline can operate domestic routes in any EU member state
• Bilateral Air Service Agreements define traffic rights between countries, but almost never include cabotage