Flag carrier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A flag carrier refers to a transportation company, such as a shipping or airline company, that is locally registered in a given country. They may be state-run, state-owned or state-designated companies or organisations with preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government. Flag carriers may be known as such due to maritime law requiring all aircraft or ships to display the state flag of the country of their registry.[1]

A flag carrier (if it is an airline) may also be known as a national airline or a national carrier, although this can have different legal meanings in some countries. In the United States for example, a national carrier (or airline) must have an annual operating revenue between $100 million and $1 billion.

Contents

[edit] Background

The term "flag carrier" is a legacy of the time when countries established state-owned airline companies. Governments then took the lead due to the high capital costs of establishing and running airlines. The heavily regulated aviation industry also meant aviation rights are often negotiated between governments, denying airlines the right to an open market. These bilateral aviation agreements may specify rights awardable only to locally registered airlines, forcing some governments to jump-start airlines to avoid being disadvantaged in the face of foreign competition. Some countries also establish flag carriers for nationalist reasons, or to aid the country's economy, particularly in the area of tourism.

In many cases, governments would directly assist in the growth of their flag carriers typically through subsidies and other fiscal incentives. The establishment of competitors in the form of other locally registered airlines may be prohibited, or heavily regulated to avoid direct competition. Even where privately-run airlines may be allowed to be established, the flag carriers may still be accorded priority, especially in the apportionment of aviation rights to local or international markets. Governments may dictate that all state-linked travel be conducted only on flag carriers.

In recent decades, however, many of these airlines have since been corporatised as a public company or a state-owned enterprise, or completely privatised. The aviation industry has also been gradually deregulated, particularly in the United States and in the European Union. This has rendered the designation of "flag carriers" 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 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) 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. The mass media may also routinely uses the term to loosely refer to any dominant airline in a country, or in reference to legacy state carriers even long after their privatisation.[2]

[edit] List of national flag carriers

The chart below lists airlines considered to be a "flag carrier", either by designation as a national airlines either officially or based on history and whether it is state-owned.

Country Airline Designated State-owned
Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan Ariana Afghan Airlines Yes Majority
Flag of Albania Albania Albanian Airlines Yes Joint-Venture
Flag of Algeria Algeria Air Algérie Yes Full (By opening its capital)
Flag of Angola Angola TAAG Angola Airlines Yes Full
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda LIAT Yes Majority
Flag of Argentina Argentina Aerolíneas Argentinas Yes Minority (25%)
Flag of Armenia Armenia Armavia Yes No
Flag of Australia Australia Qantas Yes No
Flag of Austria Austria Austrian Airlines Yes Minority (42,75%)
Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Airlines Yes Full
Flag of the Bahamas Bahamas Bahamasair Yes Full
Flag of Bahrain Bahrain Gulf Air Yes Yes
Flag of Bangladesh Bangladesh Biman Bangladesh Airlines Yes Full
Flag of Belarus Belarus Belavia Yes Full
Flag of Belgium Belgium Brussels Airlines Yes No
Flag of Benin Benin Benin Golf Air Yes No
Flag of Bhutan Bhutan Druk Air Yes Full
Flag of Bolivia Bolivia Lloyd Aereo Boliviano Yes Minority (48%)
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina B&H Airlines Yes Majority (51%)
Flag of Botswana Botswana Air Botswana Yes Full
Flag of Brazil Brazil VARIG Yes No
Flag of Brunei Brunei Royal Brunei Airlines Yes Full
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria Air Yes No
Hemus Air Yes No
Flag of Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Air Burkina Yes Majority
Flag of Burundi Burundi Air Burundi Yes Full
Flag of Cambodia Cambodia Royal Khmer Airlines Yes Yes
Flag of Cameroon Cameroon Cameroon Airlines Yes
Flag of Canada Canada Air Canada Yes No
Flag of Cape Verde Cape Verde TACV Cabo Verde Airlines Yes Full
Flag of Cayman Islands Cayman Islands Cayman Airways Yes
Flag of Chad Chad Toumaï Air Tchad
Flag of Chile Chile LAN Airlines No
Flag of the People's Republic of China People's Republic of China Air China Yes Majority
Flag of Colombia Colombia Avianca Yes No
Flag of the Comoros Comoros Air Comores International
Flag of the Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Trans Air Congo
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Hewa Bora Airways
Flag of Costa Rica Costa Rica Lacsa
Flag of Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire Air Ivoire
Flag of Croatia Croatia Croatia Airlines Yes Majority
Flag of Cuba Cuba Cubana de Aviación Yes Full
Flag of Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus Airways Yes Majority
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic Czech Airlines Yes Full
Flag of Denmark Denmark Scandinavian Airlines System Yes[3] Joint-Venture[3]
Flag of Djibouti Djibouti Air Djibouti
Flag of the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Air Dominicana Yes Minority (33%)
Flag of Ecuador Ecuador TAME
Flag of Egypt Egypt EgyptAir Yes Yes
Flag of El Salvador El Salvador TACA
Flag of Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea Ecuato Guineana
Flag of Eritrea Eritrea Eritrean Airlines Yes
Flag of Estonia Estonia Estonian Air Yes Minority
Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopian Airlines Yes
Flag of the Faroe Islands Faroe Islands Atlantic Airways
Flag of Fiji Fiji Air Pacific
Flag of Finland Finland Finnair Yes Majority
Flag of France France Air France Yes[4] Minority
Flag of French Guiana French Guiana Air Guyane Yes
Flag of French Polynesia French Polynesia Air Tahiti Nui Yes
Flag of Gabon Gabon Gabon Airlines
Flag of The Gambia Gambia Gambia International Airlines Yes
Flag of Georgia (country) Georgia Georgian Airways Yes
Flag of Germany Germany Lufthansa Yes No
Flag of Ghana Ghana Ghana International Airlines Yes
Flag of Greece Greece Olympic Airlines Yes Majority
Flag of Greenland Greenland Air Greenland Yes
Flag of Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Air Caraïbes
Flag of Guam Guam Continental Micronesia
Flag of Guatemala Guatemala Aviateca
Flag of Guinea Guinea Air Guinee Express Yes
Flag of Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau Guine Bissau Airlines
Flag of Guyana Guyana Universal Airlines
Flag of Haiti Haiti Tortug' Air
Flag of Honduras Honduras TACA
Flag of Hungary Hungary Malév Yes
Flag of Iceland Iceland Icelandair Yes No
Flag of Indonesia Indonesia Garuda Indonesia Yes Full
Flag of India India Air India Yes Full
Flag of Iran Iran Iran Air Yes Full
Flag of Iraq Iraq Iraqi Airways Yes
Flag of Ireland Ireland Aer Lingus Yes Minority (28%)
Flag of Israel Israel El Al Yes Minority (30%)
Flag of Italy Italy Alitalia Yes Minority (49%)
Flag of Jamaica Jamaica Air Jamaica Yes
Flag of Japan Japan Japan Airlines Yes No[5]
Flag of Jordan Jordan Royal Jordanian Airlines Yes
Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Air Astana Yes
Flag of Kenya Kenya Kenya Airways Yes
Flag of Kiribati Kiribati Air Kiribati Yes
Flag of North Korea North Korea Air Koryo Yes Full
Flag of South Korea South Korea Korean Air Yes
Asiana Airlines No
Flag of Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Airways Yes
Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Airlines Yes
Flag of Laos Laos Lao Airlines Yes
Flag of Latvia Latvia Air Baltic Yes
Flag of Lebanon Lebanon Middle East Airlines
Flag of Liberia Liberia Air Liberia Yes
Flag of Libya Libya Libyan Arab Airlines Yes
Flag of Lithuania Lithuania FlyLal Yes
Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxair Yes
Flag of Macau Macau Air Macau Yes[citation needed]
Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Macedonia MAT Macedonian Airlines Yes
Flag of Madagascar Madagascar Air Madagascar Yes
Flag of Malawi Malawi Air Malawi Yes
Flag of Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia Airlines Yes
Flag of the Maldives Maldives Island Aviation Services Yes
Flag of Mali Mali Air Mali International Yes
Flag of Malta Malta Air Malta Yes
Flag of the Marshall Islands Marshall Islands Air Marshall Islands Yes
Flag of Martinique Martinique Air Caraïbes
Flag of Mauritania Mauritania Mauritania Airways Minority (10%)
Flag of Mauritius Mauritius Air Mauritius Yes
Flag of Mexico Mexico Aeroméxico Yes No
Mexicana Yes No
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia Continental Micronesia
Flag of Moldova Moldova Air Moldova Yes
Flag of Mongolia Mongolia MIAT Mongolian Airlines Yes
Flag of Montenegro Montenegro Montenegro Airlines Yes
Flag of Montserrat Montserrat Air Montserrat
Flag of Morocco Morocco Royal Air Maroc Yes
Flag of Mozambique Mozambique Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique Yes
Flag of Burma Myanmar Myanma Airways Yes Yes
Flag of Namibia Namibia Air Namibia Yes
Flag of Nauru Nauru Air Nauru Yes
Flag of Nepal Nepal Nepal Airlines Yes
Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands KLM Yes No
Flag of the Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles Dutch Antilles Express
Flag of New Caledonia New Caledonia Aircalin
Flag of New Zealand New Zealand Air New Zealand Yes Majority
Flag of Nicaragua Nicaragua NICA Yes
Flag of Nigeria Nigeria Virgin Nigeria Airways Yes 50% Virgin Atlantic / 50% Nigerian institutional investors
Flag of Norway Norway Scandinavian Airlines System Yes[3] Minority[3]
Flag of Oman Oman Oman Air Yes Minority (33%)
Flag of Pakistan Pakistan PIA Yes Majority
Palestinian flag Palestinian Authority Palestinian Airlines Full
Flag of Panama Panama Copa Airlines Yes No
Flag of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Air Niugini
Flag of Paraguay Paraguay TAM Mercosur
Flag of Peru Peru Air Perú
Flag of the Philippines Philippines Philippine Airlines Yes Joint-Venture
Flag of Poland Poland LOT Polish Airlines Yes Majority (67.97%)[6]
Flag of Portugal Portugal TAP Portugal Yes
Flag of Qatar Qatar Qatar Airways Yes
Flag of Réunion Réunion Air Austral
Flag of Romania Romania TAROM Yes Majority (95%)
Flag of Russia Russia Rossiya Yes Full
Flag of Rwanda Rwanda Rwandair Express Yes
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[unreliable source?] Mustique Airways
Flag of Samoa Samoa Polynesian Blue
Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe Air São Tomé and Príncipe
Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian Airlines Yes Full
Flag of Senegal Senegal Air Sénégal International Yes
Flag of Serbia Serbia Jat Airways Yes Full[7]
Flag of the Seychelles Seychelles Air Seychelles Yes
Flag of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Sierra National Airlines Yes
Flag of Singapore Singapore Singapore Airlines Yes Majority (54%)
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia Air Slovakia
Flag of Slovenia Slovenia Adria Airways
Flag of the Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Solomon Airlines Yes
Flag of Somalia Somalia Somali Airlines Yes
Flag of South Africa South Africa South African Airways Yes
Flag of Spain Spain Iberia Yes Minority (5%)[8]
Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka SriLankan Airlines Yes
Flag of Sudan Sudan Sudan Airways Yes
Flag of Suriname Suriname Surinam Airways Yes
Flag of Sweden Sweden Scandinavian Airlines System Yes[3] Joint-Venture[3]
Flag of Swaziland Swaziland Royal Swazi National Airways
Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Swiss International Air Lines
Flag of Syria Syria Syrian Arab Airlines Yes Full
Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan (Republic of China) China Airlines[9] No
Flag of Tajikistan Tajikistan Tajik Air Yes
Flag of Tanzania Tanzania Air Tanzania Yes
Flag of Thailand Thailand Thai Airways International Yes Majority (53%)
Flag of Togo Togo Air Togo Yes
Flag of Tonga Tonga
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Airlines Yes Full
Flag of Tunisia Tunisia Tunisair Yes
Flag of Turkey Turkey Turkish Airlines Yes Majority
Flag of Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Airlines Yes
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands Air Turks and Caicos Yes
Flag of Uganda Uganda Air Uganda Yes
Flag of Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine International Airlines Yes Majority
Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Etihad Airways Yes Yes[10]
Emirates Yes Yes[11]
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom British Airways Yes No
Flag of Uruguay Uruguay PLUNA Yes Minority (25%)
Flag of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Airways Yes Majority
Flag of Vanuatu Vanuatu Air Vanuatu Yes
Flag of Venezuela Venezuela Conviasa Yes Full
Flag of Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Airlines Yes Full
Flag of Yemen Yemen Yemenia Yes
Flag of Zambia Zambia Zambian Airways Yes
Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Air Zimbabwe Yes

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ flag carrier definition
  2. ^ Fight and flight instinct of national carrier - Times Online
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ France: Air France was (and is still considered by many) the designated national carrier before it was merged with the Dutch airlines, KLM.
  5. ^ In November 18, 1987, the government stake for JAL (which was then 34%) was completely sold off, and JAL was completely privatized. See Japan Airlines Corporation Company Profile and Japan Airlines International Co. Ltd. Company Profile.
  6. ^ LOT Corporate Information. PLL LOT (2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
  7. ^ Jat Airways is currently in process of privatisation. Aeroflot is the most likely company to get a share in ownership.
  8. ^ Participaciones significativas - Iberia
  9. ^ China Airlines used to fly the flag of the Republic of China until 1995.
  10. ^ UAE: Etihad Airways is owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, a constituent emirate of the UAE.
  11. ^ UAE: Emirates Airline is owned by the government of Dubai, a constituent emirate of the UAE.

[edit] External links