This new study takes a keen look at the problems facing the international community due to conflicts arising from applications of varying competition laws by different competition authorities to international airline alliances. As a result of privatisation, deregulation, liberalisation and globalisation, international air carriers form alliances with one another in order to cope with growing competition in the international air transport market. This book clearly provides an introduction to the background to and origin of airline alliances, different models of alliances and the related anti-competitive practices resulting from existing international airline alliances. The potential anti-competitive practices resulting from these cross-border alliances trigger a great deal of concern from various competition authorities. Thus, this study goes on to provide a detailed analysis regarding the relevant EC competition law and US antitrust law and their applications to alliance activities. The comparison of different applications of EC competition law and US antitrust law to international airline alliances provides leading research results first-hand. In the conclusion, the essential elements regarding establishing a level playing field in the international air transport market are identified and the author provides possible solutions for the harmonisation of different applications of competition law to international airline alliances.

The second of two volumes, this text discusses the vertical issues involved in regulatory reform. The contributors describe in detail the regulatory reforms which are needed or have been initiated in nine major industrial sectors, including automobiles, textiles and clothing, retail trade, chemicals, banking, road transport, telecoms, electricity and (scheduled) air transport. They argue that regulatory reform can, more often than not, help improve the competitiveness of companies while generating net growth effects for the European Union as a whole.

'This Handbook is a stellar compilation of up-to-date knowledge about the important topics in transport economics. Authors include the very best in the field, and they cover the most important topics for today's research and policy applications. Individual chapters contain sound, readable, well referenced explanations of each topic's history and current status. I cannot think of a better place to start for anyone wanting to become current in the field or in any of its parts.' – Kenneth Small, University of California-Irvine, US Bringing together insights and perspectives from close to 70 of the world's leading experts in the field, this timely Handbook provides an up-to-date guide to the most recent and state-of-the-art advances in transport economics. The comprehensive coverage includes topics such as the relationship between transport and the spatial economy, recent advances in travel demand analysis, the external costs of transport, investment appraisal, pricing, equity issues, competition and regulation, the role of public–private partnerships and the development of policy in local bus services, rail, air and maritime transport. This Handbook is designed both for use on postgraduate and advanced undergraduate courses and as a reference for anyone working in the field. It also complements the textbook Principles of Transport Economics.