Iceland participated in the annual negotiation conference of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which concluded in Riyadh last week. Representatives from nearly a hundred states participated. The purpose was to increase market access for Icelandic airline companies through bilateral agreements concerning passenger flights, cargo flights, charter flights, and leasing of aircraft with crew.

The aviation industry is one of the most important sectors in Iceland and air travel contracts are a prerequisite for the companies to operate abroad. The extent of rights provided for in Iceland's air travel contracts varies, but in addition to reciprocal authorisations for passenger and cargo flights between Contracting States, many contracts authorise non-stop services in third States and air services in both Contracting States.

At these conferences, Iceland either concludes new air travel agreements, updates existing agreements, signs agreements that have been reached previously, or has negotiations with new partner states.

New agreements were concluded with Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Georgia, Haiti, Namibia, Suriname, and Uganda. The agreement was extended to Brazil, which entails that Icelandic airlines, among other things, receive the right to transport cargo without stopping in Iceland (so-called 7th rights).

The agreements were signed with the Dominican Republic, Seychelles, and Kuwait, but agreements had been reached with these states. Negotiations began with Gabon, Guatemala, Timor Leste, and Pakistan.

Negotiations on air travel contracts are in consultation with the Icelandic airlines. Iceland has now concluded such agreements with well over a hundred countries, adding the aforementioned agreements to a tight negotiation network.

The Icelandic PMC appointed Pétur Thorsteinsson, the chief negotiator, from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Valgerður B. Eggertsdóttir, a lawyer at the Ministry of Infrastructure, and Kristín Helga Markúsdóttir, Director of Administration at the Icelandic Transport Authority.