§ 123. Mr. Lennox-Boydasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he has any statement to make on the intention of the U.S. Government to withdraw from the International Air Transport Agreement on 25th July, 1947.
Mr. Ivor ThomasThe International Air Transport Agreement, which was presented by the United States Delegation towards the close of the Chicago Conference, provides for the unconditional grant of traffic rights including full Fifth Freedom rights as between the countries party to the Agreement. The policy embodied in the Agreement was not acceptable to the United Kingdom, and accordingly the United Kingdom has never been a party to it.
It has been reported in the Press that the Government of the United States of America has decided to withdraw from the Agreement because the recent civil aviation conference at Montreal made it clear that the Agreement could not be relied on as an effective medium for the establishment of international air routes for operation by United States companies. I have nothing to add to these reports.