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Encyclopedia > Flag carrier

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] Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... National Airlines was used by several airlines including: National Airlines (N4) (IATA: N4, ICAO: NCN, and Callsign: ) based in Chile (defunct) National Airlines (N7) (IATA: N7, ICAO: ROK, and Callsign: Red Rock) (1999-2002) based in the United States National Airlines (NA) (IATA: NA, ICAO: NAL, and Callsign: National) (1934... Flag carrier Flag carrier for a description of national flag carriers (airlines/shipping). ... Damaged package The Panama canal. ... An Airbus A380 of Emirates Airline An airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... Public ownership (also called government ownership or state ownership) is government ownership of any asset, industry, or corporation at any level, national, regional or local (municipal). ... Admiralty law (usually referred to as simply admiralty and also referred to as maritime law) is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. ... For other uses, see Flag (disambiguation). ...


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 one billion.

Contents

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. This article describes a type of political entity. ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolizing French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ...


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. Corporatization is a form of economic reform which takes services from the direct control of the government, and places them in the control of government-owned corporations. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is an enterprise, often a corporation, owned by a government. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Deregulation is the process by which governments remove, reduce, or simplify restrictions on business and individuals in order to (in theory) encourage the efficient operation of markets. ...


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] Bilateralism is a term referring to trade or political relations between two states. ... Bermuda II is a Bilateral Air Transport Agreement between the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States signed on July 23, 1977 as a renegotiation of the original 1946 Bermuda Agreement. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... Legislation (or statutory law) is law which has been promulgated (or enacted) by a legislature or other governing body. ... The Fly America Act refers to the provisions enacted by US Code Title 49, Subtitle VII, Part A, subpart I, Chapter 401, 40118 - Government-Financed Air Transportation. ...


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. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ...

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 Hong Kong Hong Kong Cathay Pacific No
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 Trans Maldivian Airways 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 Aeroflot No Majority (51%)
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