The implications of international code sharing

Code sharing is the use by one airline of its designator code on an aircraft operated by another airline. It is a phenomenon that is growing very rapidly on international air services. This paper outlines the historical development of code sharing and its increasing use as a tradable commodity in government bilateral air services negotiations. It questions whether code sharing in isolation is really as valuable as some have argued, and suggests that a multilateral agreement on the exchange of code-share rights might be the best way forward.