The 1999 Agreement on civil aviation regulates the access of Swiss airline companies to Europe's liberalised civil aviation market on a basis of reciprocity. The granting of commercial flying rights together with a ban on discrimination means that Swiss companies will stand on equal footing with their European competitors. They are free, for example, in the choice of destination and in setting fares, as well as in the choice of aircraft they make for any given route.

The Agreement provides for a level playing field for competition between the Swiss airline companies and their European competitors. For airline passen-gers, this means that the prices will tend to sink, while the choice in air con-nections to various destinations will tend to rise.

Key data

• Date of signing: 21 June 1999 (in the framework of Bilateral Agreements I)
• Approval by the electorate: 21 May 2000 (in the framework of Bilateral Agreements I)
• Date effective: 1 June 2002

_{Status June 2012}