ABSTRACT
One of the great benefits of aviation has been its ability to make the world smaller and promote globalization. From aviation's very roots, the international regulatory environment has been critical to the success of the aviation industry. This chapter explores two major themes encompassed in international aviation: open skies and global alliances. The first international agreement concerning air transportation occurred shortly after the end of the First World War in Paris. The United States signed its first international aviation agreement at the Havana Convention on Civil Aviation of 1928. The Chicago Convention superseded the previous Paris and Chicago Conventions and it still remains the major basis for all international aviation law. The general trend in international aviation is to do away with complicated and restriction-laden bilateral agreements and move towards "open skies". In order to help overcome restrictive barriers to entry in international markets, many airlines have formed alliances with foreign carriers.
