./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/CSS/W/124
27 November 2001
(01-6057)
Council for Trade in Services
Special SessionOriginal:  Spanish
COMMUNICATION FROM COLOMBIA1
Air Transport Services
The following communication has been received from the delegation of Colombia, with the
request that it be circulated to Members of the Council for Trade in Services.
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I. INTRODUCTION
1. The Annex on Air Transport Services provides that the disciplines of the General Agreement
on Trade in Services (GATS) do not apply to measures affecting traffic rights and services directly
related to the exercise of traffic rights. Neverthe less, it provides that the operation of this Annex
should be reviewed periodically, and at least every fi ve years, with a view to considering the possible
further application of the GATS in this sector.
2. In accordance with this Annex, the GATS therefore applies to measures affecting (i) aircraft
repair and maintenance services, (ii) the selling and marketing of air transport services, and (iii)
computer reservation system (CRS) services.
3. Traffic rights have been negotiated on the basis of bilateral agreements coming within the
framework of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) and
administered by the International Civil Aviati on Organization (ICAO). All WTO Members (with a
few exceptions) are Contracting States of the Chicago Convention. Colombia is of the opinion that the
mechanisms established in the Chicago Convention have worked well and proved an appropriateframework for the harmonious development of air transport.
4. The liberalization of traffic rights should respect national policy objectives and Members'
varying levels of development. Given the marked difference between the levels of industrial
development of developing and developed countries, all liberalization efforts should take equality of
opportunity and fairness into consideration, as established in the principles of the ChicagoConvention.
II. PROPOSAL
5. Having regard to the Chicago Convention, with a guiding body like the ICAO, the current
system of exchange of traffic rights between Contracting States should be maintained. Traffic rights
and, as a general rule, all aspects directly related thereto should therefore remain outside thedisciplines of the General Agreement on Trade in Services.
                                                     
1 Colombia reserves the right to amend this proposal at any time.S/CSS/W/124
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6. Members should hold discussions on the definition of services directly related to the exercise
of traffic rights.
7. Points 5 and 6 notwithstanding, it would be desirable for Members to examine alternative
ways of embarking upon a liberalization process for some services directly related to the exercise of
traffic rights, such as ancillary services, in particular those related to ground handling services, rentaland leasing services, catering services, and other supporting services, notably cleaning and
disinfecting services.
8. This sector should be liberalized without detriment to the regulatory and safety measures
developed by the ICAO and competent national authorities. These measures come under Article VI
(Domestic Regulation) of the GATS.
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