Impact of international relations on aviation

National Interest and International Aviation
Kluwer Law International: 2006
Author: Erwin Von Den Steinen
International Civil Aviation Organization
Montreal

Review: Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne

AVIATION: This is the first book of an author who has produced numerous studies and written many articles on civil aviation. As the author states at the outset, this is not an academic study but rather a set of observations and findings based on general education and extensive experience gained as a consultant and expert on the impact of international relations on aviation.

As such, the reader can look forward to a substantive discourse on an important area of civil aviation that is continuing to draw the interest of the international community.

With the exponential growth of the air transport industry, the significance of national interest in a global industry such as aviation has grown over the years. More importantly, recognition of national interests are entrenched in international treaty.

This fact is explicitly reflected in Article 6 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed at Chicago on 7 December 1944.

The provision effectively precludes scheduled international air services from being operated over or into the territory of a contracting State, except with the special permission or authorization of that State, and in accordance with the terms of such permission or authorization.

This brings to bear the need to ask whether national interests bestowed by international treaty have to give way to a multilateral framework.

The author gets to grips with this question right at the outset of his work where, in the Preface, he asks the question and answers it in the negative, stating that national interests will not, and should not fade away.

He gives four reasons for his position, all of which amply demonstrate his experience and knowledge in the field of international relations and aviation. To supplement his thesis, the author structures his analysis on six formative ideas which permeate through the book.

This makes the text flow logically allowing the reader a sustained absorption of the author’s trend of thought.

Central theme

A successful author has two approaches: focus on the central theme from the start; and chart a distinct course thereafter. This is clearly shown in the Preface where the author attenuates the key principles of change and adaptation and applies them to international aviation. This strong focus and direction makes for a robust introduction to the book and wets the appetite of the reader.

The book comprises eight chapters starting from an introductory chapter addressing the political angle of international aviation. The formative part of the first chapter on aviation and globalization discusses the overall effects of globalization with focus on the history of governance and the shaping of interests of nations in aviation.

The historical analysis is both educative and invigorating and the Introduction has one of the best free flowing leads to a book detailing the politics of aviation and diplomacy I have come across. At the end of the chapter, the author deftly conveys the overall message, with logical reasoning, that national interest is defined by international relationships and challenges.

The second chapter on national relationships and international regulation takes the reader through the basics of air traffic rights, bilateral air services agreements and the issue of whether market access should be in a multilateral regime under the World Trade Organization and its Annex on Trading Services.

This chapter refreshes the seasoned professional and serves the uninitiated as a reader friendly and informative introduction. It is for this reason that I would prescribe this book to my graduate students as compulsory reading for their course in Aero-political and legal Environment.

Chapter three leads the discussion on to national interest from a producer perspective, bringing to bear the roles played by key players in the aviation industry such as airports and air navigation service providers.

The link drawn between the component elements of the bilateral air services such as the Bermuda Principles and the pre-determination of capacity and operating subsidies would provide the reader with a sense of perspective in regard to national interest from the point of view of the producer. In this regard the reader would find the discussion on protectionism particularly illuminating.

As one would expect, the fourth chapter focuses attention on the consumer. It starts with a discussion of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 of the United States and addresses consumer issues and the national interests in safeguarding consumer interests from the perspective of the United States. The historical study which follows is valuable, particularly in the context of discussions on competition, pricing, user charges and quality control.

The fifth chapter takes the reader across the Atlantic to a most important region. The role of the European Union, the Single European Sky and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) all of which have an important bearing on global aviation, are discussed in a manner that brings out the author’s erudition and ability to convert complex issues into simple, readable text.

Chapter six meshes the North Atlantic market from the perspective of the US and the EU. The importance of this chapter lies in the excellent discussion on regulatory convergence and the link to political overtones that have shaped the aviation history of the two regions.

The two most important issues for the regions, namely market share and competition, are discussed in the backdrop of burgeoning low cost carriers and investment in airlines.

There is also an interesting discussion on London Heathrow which gives the reader a broad picture of challenges face by European and American airports.

Global threats

The penultimate chapter addresses issues emerging from global threats to aviation that might impact national interest. The reader is treated to some current issues regarding border clearance and the relationship between facilitation and security which are not subjects usually found in books on aviation and policy.

Of particular interest would be the discussion on pre-clearance. The chapter succeeds in laying stress on the importance of threat analysis as a critical factor in national security and interest.

The concluding chapter, aptly termed “The Way Forward” clearly brings out the author’s position that liberalization for the sake of opening the market has to be approached cautiously, while at the same time giving prominence to freedom and mobility. Finally, the author gives five recommendations toward a way forward which makes for one of the many reasons that makes the book compelling reading.

The book has a respectable bibliography and serves its purpose, as a sound introductory study on a complex issue.

Although I would have liked to have seen some discussion on ownership and control of airlines and autonomous airports and air navigation service providers, which are critical national interest issues, the book is not rendered destitute of its effect as a valuable contribution to aviation literature in the absence of such discussion.

There are a few citation errors in the footnoting which are not serious since, by the author’s own admission, this is a non academic work.

I commend this book to lawyers, diplomats and students of aero-politics and law.

The reviewer is Coordinator, Air Transport Programmes International Civil Aviation Organization, Canada

www.Abeyratne.com

Jathaka stories in English

Selected stories from 550
Jathaka Book in English
Author: Milton Dharmasinghe
Nisala Publishers, Suderis Silva Mawatha, Horana
133 pp
Price: 190

Review: R.S. Karunaratne

JATHAKA STORIES: Buddhists all over the world love to read Jathaka stories describing the previous births of the Buddha. The stories carry moral lessons for the layman.

The Jathaka stories focus on various difficulties, problems, weaknesses and failures of human beings. The messages in each story appeal to the young and the old. The author has selected 28 Jathaka Stories which are relevant to our culture.

Preamble

All the stories in the book carry a preamble explaining the venue and to whom they were addressed.

For instance, the opening story entitled Sambula Jathaka was narrated by the Buddha regarding Queen Mallika, the wife of the King of Kosol region. The venue was Jetavanaramaya.

To help young readers, the author has explained difficult and unfamiliar words at the end of each story.

Stories

The Jathaka Stories included in the book are: Sambula, Sangeewa, Kekkari, Samudravani, Satha Paththa, Kesawa, Asthana, Sumangala, Venareka, Bathiya, Mathsa, Suva, Vattaka, Sala, Moneykundala, Mansa, Palasa, Tanasandava, Brahmaduththa, Mahasara, Kamaneeya, Kshanthivadi, Phala, Guttila, Assaka, Money Khantaka, Satta Dharma and Godha.

This is a fine collection of Jathaka Stories written in lucid English. The only drawback is the heavy print that hampers reading.

Untitled poetry for readers’ delectation

Digu Patu Manpeth
Author: Thanuja Dharmapala
Sandakada Publishers, 44, Kreedapitiya Road, Obeysekarapura, Rajagiriya
120pp Price Rs. 170

Review: Dr. Senarath Tennakoon

POETRY: ”Poetry - and to some extent, all literature-can be difficult to understand, not only because of the reorganisation and intensification of the language used by the poet, but also because of the cultural distance between the poet and the reader which will involve different uses of language, references to personal and historical events, and so on.

Nevertheless, the appeal of good poetry lies in its meaning as well as in its rhythm and sound: the poet has something to convey in extra-ordinary language, and it is worth the effort needed to understand it,” wrote Phillip Gaskell in 1998.

Gaskell goes on further to state that good poems are easier to read than bad ones and these say something worthwhile in a small space excluding everything that is not essential; and they use poetic language for a definite purpose; and they please the ear like good music.

Thanuja Dharmapala’s Digu Patu Manpeth is a literary creation that combines creative expressions and creative line drawings which in appropriate linkage attract the feelings of a carefully interested reader.

In an introductory note by Nandana Weerasinghe the use of ‘pivot words’, ‘saying one thing and meaning another’ by the author, have been mentioned as an approach to invoke aesthetic meaning. The use of a few words in a small space has been highlighted.

In another note by Manubandu Vidyapathi, there is a versatile comment on the metaphorical use of words, creation of mental images, creative imagination of Thanuja and how Samantha Herath has presented the ideas of Thanuja through uncoloured line drawings. Even Manibandu casts doubts of their relevance, appropriateness and representation.

What one observes in Thanuja’s literary creation is a set of grammatically coined sentences. Some are mere statements which look like idioms, proverbs and exclamations. Some are questions while some appear to be obscure expressions.

The reader is attracted towards her skill exhibited in the selection, and controlled behaviour of words, clauses and phrases in brief exquisitely organised and arranged sentence patterns.

However, she has segmented or broken these sentences to short lines, each with a few words. Some lines have just one word (Pages 01,25,28,32,40,43,44,47,48,49,52,53,57). So, she has thought of giving some form to her expressions. One should be careful not to comment on the metre (rhythmical scheme of using words).

Although the very commonly observed rhythmical schemes are not obvious in Thanuja’s one could very well make use of the supra segmental features of the language, put emphasis, break into syllables in quite a number of ways while reading aloud each expression.

Although Nandana Weerasinghe observes that Thanuja has been influenced by the Japanese Haiku, this observation might need further clarification. In the original Haiku there are three lines and the respective number of syllables are 5-7-5, but the English translations may consist of three short lines to suit the subject. An example could be given:

“Dosing on horseback,

smoke from tea-fires

drifts to the moon”.

Basho as translated by Dianne Doubtfire Digu Patu Manpeth (page 5) presents an expression which reads somewhat like this;

Mal Suvada

Naas Pudu Asalinma

Maha Ethaka Ede.

Another expression in page 7 is;

Duuvili nisa

Sulan ralith

Bara wadei.

Thanuja has not given titles to any of her creations. The reader could muse over quite freely without inhibitions despite the line drawings by Samantha Herath which might place some control over random imagination.

What disturbs the reader is whether these expressions come within the territory of poetry? No doubt, poetry is a personal thing which moves us or delights us. T.S. Eliot in ‘Tradition and the Individual Talent’ has observed that the poet’s mind is like a receptacle for seizing and storing up numberless feelings, phrases, images, which remain there until all the particles which can unite to form a new compound are present together.

Thanuja’s imagination appears to be hovering over the urban living environment. Some of her creations attempt to evoke pleasant feelings over generally unnoticed scenes by the majority of the town dwellers.

The rainbow gathering colours, the dust heavy wind, the vast silent sky quite unconcerned while dark clouds devour the moon (page 11), the darkness at the foot of the mountain even on a moonlit night, the workers returning home unconcerned with the beauty of the evening clouds (page 20).

But, all these expressions appear to be the end products of her imagination. Often the structure of the expression and its context obscure, latent or dormant.

There are quite a few creations that inspire to refresh the appreciation of reading Gunadasa Amarasekara’s ‘Nagaraye Payu Dedunne’ (Rainbow over the city). While one could enjoy Gunadasa Amarasekara’s creation for its rhythmical scheme, effect of rhythm (sound of words) and intensified language within a defined context better, this opportunity is hardly offered by ‘Thanuja in her expressions (page 20, 58).

Nandana Weerasinghe in his introduction has appreciated the meaning of two creations indicating an approach for reading Thanuja’s creations, which could stimulate readers to give a try at innovative thinking and conceptualisation.