ICAO CIRCULAR 310 PDF

INTRODUCTION

This circular has been prepared pursuant to ICAO Assembly Resolution A35-18, Appendix G, which requests the Council to instruct the Secretary General to issue periodically "a study on regional differences in the level of international air transport operating costs, analysing how differences in operations and input prices may affect their levels and the impact that changes in costs may have on air transport tariffs". This study on Regional Differences in International Airline Operating Economics: 2002 and 2003 succeeds one which covered the years 2000 and 2001 and was published in 2005 (Circular 306-AT/128) and two previous studies: one covering the years 1998 and 1999 (published in Circular 293-AT/125) and one covering the years 1992 to 1997 (published in Circular 280-AT/117). Prior to that, similar studies were published annually under the title Regional Differences in Fares, Rates and Costs for International Air Transport, which covered the years 1976 to 1992. The studies are now published biennially or every other year, although data have continued to be collected and analysed on an annual basis. The present circular focuses on the years 2002 and 2003.

For 17 international route groups, comprising all international routes, passenger, freight and mail revenue yield data are presented in Chapter 2 for scheduled services. With reference to the same route groups, regional differences in the costs related to the scheduled service passenger yields are presented in Chapter 3. The major causes of regional differences in costs are identified in Chapter 4. In Chapters 2 and 3, the 2003 results are compared with those for 2001.

The sources of data used in the study are given in Appendix 1, together with information on the sample sizes on which revenue and cost data are based. The method of analysis used in the study is presented in Appendix 2, together with information on the margins of uncertainty, a factor which should be borne in mind when considering the results of studies of this nature. Facsimiles of the questionnaire and information on responses appear in Appendix

Unless indicated otherwise, all references to "cents" in this circular mean "U.S. cents" and all references to "dollars" mean "U.S. dollars".