Extra-community airlines operating permit

Published on Thursday 7 March 2024

Third country operators wishing to serve France shall apply for and obtain traffic rights, also called operating permits.

For this matter, an air carrier certified by a State which is not part of the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland or Switzerland is called a TCO for “Third Country Operator”.

TCO shall only engage scheduled or non-scheduled commercial air transport operations within, into or out of a territory subject to the provisions of the Treaty on European Union if they hold an authorisation issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as required by regulation (EU) No 452/2014.
French territories subject to the provisions of the Treaty on European Union are continental France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Saint Martin, Réunion and Mayotte.

Third country operators :

  • engaged in scheduled or non-scheduled commercial air transport operations within, into or out of Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia or French Polynesia;
    and
  • which do not hold an authorisation issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in accordance with regulation (EU) No 452/2014;
    and
  • which have not served French territory since the beginning of the year prior to current year;

shall, as required by Order of 3rd of June 2008 article 5, fill in the present technical questionnaire when applying for traffic rights.

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