Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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811. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of permits issued to airlines outside the State under the fifth freedom over the past five years. [31172/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Over the past five years my Department has authorised a number of non-EU airlines to operate fifth freedom passenger flights. These include:

- Addis Ababa - Dublin - Los Angeles with return (now ceased);

- Beijing - Edinburgh - Dublin with return; and

- Addis Abba - Madrid - Dublin with return.

Authorisation has also been granted for fifth freedom cargo flights, these include:

- Istanbul - Shannon - Chicago;

- Istanbul - Shannon - New York; and

- Istanbul - Shannon - Atlanta.

The European Single Aviation Market rules provide that EU airlines operating fifth freedom flights within Europe do not require authorisation from my Department.

Ireland traditionally has a liberal aviation policy and remains positively disposed towards the development of competitive air services. In that context, my Department will continue to consider applications for fifth freedom air traffic rights under bilateral air services agreements, on a case-by-case basis.