60 replies to this topic

[kingoftheskies]

Fifth freedom flights always interest me, so I'm trying to create a complete list of fifth freedom flights all around the world, since I can't find any updated ones anywhere

Please try to add on, update or correct any incorrect information.
 

The list can be found in the following Google Docs document.
 

 

Happy Surfing! 

[kingoftheskies]

What are fifth freedom flights?

Fifth freedom flights are flights between two countries flown by an airline from a third country. In other words, Airline X from Country A operates fifth freedom flights between Country B and Country C, with the flights originating from Country A. Airline X has the rights to transport passengers and cargo solely between Country B and C, these rights are also called "Fifth Freedom Rights". Thus, these are fifth freedom flights.

 

Example :

Singapore Airlines 26 from Singapore to New York-JFK has a stop in Frankfurt. It has rights to transport passengers/cargo solely between Frankfurt and New York-JFK, meaning passengers can book the Frankfurt-JFK sector only without continuing to Singapore, thus it's a fifth freedom flight.

 




What if Airline X stops at Country B before continuing to Country C for technical purposes and does not disembark/board passengers?


Fifth freedom flights should not be confused with second freedom flights. Second freedom flights are flights with second freedom rights, which allow an airline the right to stop for maintenance or fuel without disembarking passengers or cargo.

 

Example :

Royal Jordanian 184 from Amman to Jakarta has a stop in Kuala Lumpur. It does not have rights to transport passengers/cargo solely between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, meaning passengers cannot book the Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta sector without continuing to Amman, thus it's not a fifth freedom flight, and in this case, a second freedom flight.

 

 

What if Airline X stops at City Z in Country B before continuing to City Y in Country B/flies between two points in a country?

These are not fifth freedom flights as the stopover point and the destination are in the same country. On these flights, airlines are usually not allowed to transport transport passengers and cargo solely between the two points of the foreign country. The stopover is usually for technical purposes.

 

Example :

Qantas 11 from Sydney to New York-JFK has a stop in Los Angeles. It does not have rights to transport passengers/cargo solely between LAX and JFK, meaning passengers cannot book the LAX-JFK sector without continuing to Sydney, thus it's not a fifth freedom flight.

[jmfsam]

Don't think RAR-LAX is a fifth freedom flight considering the Cook Islands are in free association with New Zealand and aren't 100% independent nor considered a country. 

[kingoftheskies]

Don't think RAR-LAX is a fifth freedom flight considering the Cook Islands are in free association with New Zealand and aren't 100% independent nor considered a country. 

 

Fair enough. Updated the list.

[keanseeley]

Air France Flight 3935, Singapore to Jakarta. I think they use the 777-300ER.

[kingoftheskies]

Air France Flight 3935, Singapore to Jakarta. I think they use the 777-300ER.

 

Air France stopped flights between Singapore and Jakarta since March this year. AF3935 is actually a codeshare flight operated by Garuda Indonesia.

[Alfrenzo]

Uzbekistan has a SIN-KUL once weekly (HY551) which is a fifth freedom, iirc.

 

Ethiopian has a Newark-Lome service 4x weekly (ET509). (Seriously ET flying TATL to Togo -.- )

 

UA154 passes a few stops within the Republic of Marshall Islands which are all bookable.

 

Not sure if BA's OpenSkies flights count.

[kingoftheskies]

Uzbekistan has a SIN-KUL once weekly (HY551) which is a fifth freedom, iirc.
 
Ethiopian has a Newark-Lome service 4x weekly (ET509). (Seriously ET flying TATL to Togo -.- )
 
UA154 passes a few stops within the Republic of Marshall Islands which are all bookable.
 
Not sure if BA's OpenSkies flights count.

Oops apologies for missing out SIN-KUL for Uzbekistan Airways.

Ethiopian's Lome to EWR is already on the list.

I'll research more about United's Island Hopper route and BA's routes tmr.

[Alfrenzo]

Oops apologies for missing out SIN-KUL for Uzbekistan Airways.

Ethiopian's Lome to EWR is already on the list.

I'll research more about United's Island Hopper route and BA's routes tmr.

 

Noted!

 

Also, EVA Air has its entire European network going through BKK before heading back to TPE, and are all bookable on its own. (BKK-VIE, BKK-AMS, BKK-LHR) ugh I'm blind

 

Otherwise, it looks about right - though I'm sure there are some things missing. Quite interesting to see how fifth-freedom routes have evolved. Lists created by others usually aren't updated so there are often times phony routes in outdated lists. (MAN-MUC and DME-IAH comes to mind)

[zipp]

QF LAX-JFK

[kingoftheskies]

Noted!

 

Also, EVA Air has its entire European network going through BKK before heading back to TPE, and are all bookable on its own. (BKK-VIE, BKK-AMS, BKK-LHR) ugh I'm blind

 

Otherwise, it looks about right - though I'm sure there are some things missing. Quite interesting to see how fifth-freedom routes have evolved. Lists created by others usually aren't updated so there are often times phony routes in outdated lists. (MAN-MUC and DME-IAH comes to mind)

 

For United's Island Hopper route, I've only added the leg between Kwajalein Atoll and Kosrae, as it's the only international sector of the route where it does not originate/end in the United States.

 

British Airways OpenSkies does not count since OpenSkies is an airline based in France.

[Frdm920]

QF LAX-JFK

 

Not a 5th freedom flight, QF can't sell tickets for just LAX-JFK, also if they did it would be an 8th freedom flight

 

Have EK scrapped their Lusaka - Harare flights?

[kingoftheskies]

Not a 5th freedom flight, QF can't sell tickets for just LAX-JFK, also if they did it would be an 8th freedom flight

 

Have EK scrapped their Lusaka - Harare flights?

 

Nope, it's on the list.

[Alfrenzo]

There's one you've missed out - the bloody annoying BA2158/9 that rotates between St. Lucia (UVF) and Port of Spain (POS)/Grenada (GND) depending the time of the week. Dummy bookings show it's perfectly bookable as it is.

 

There is also a Vietnam Airlines VN930/1 that operates between Luang Prabang (LPQ) in Laos and Siem Reap (REP) in Cambodia that VN has cabotage rights on.

[zipp]

Any QF service out of perth because nobody in this country wants them

[kingoftheskies]

There's one you've missed out - the bloody annoying BA2158/9 that rotates between St. Lucia (UVF) and Port of Spain (POS)/Grenada (GND) depending the time of the week. Dummy bookings show it's perfectly bookable as it is.

 

There is also a Vietnam Airlines VN930/1 that operates between Luang Prabang (LPQ) in Laos and Siem Reap (REP) in Cambodia that VN has cabotage rights on.

 

Thanks! Updated the list. 

[kingoftheskies]

I have so much time on my hands this week, so I decided to update the list even though no one really wants to read them.

 

Mostly major updates on Ethiopian, KLM, Emirates and Singapore Airlines.

 

New airlines added : Rwandair, Tunisair

[bAnderson]

I think you missed a leg on United 154. The normal path (according to FlightAware today) is HNL-MAJ-KWA-KSA-PNI-TKK-GUM. Besides KWA-KSA, KSA-PNI nad PNI-TKK should be added as these are all 5th freedom as well. I've been studying 154 for a bit after watching Sam Chui's (?) video.

[kingoftheskies]

I think you missed a leg on United 154. The normal path (according to FlightAware today) is HNL-MAJ-KWA-KSA-PNI-TKK-GUM. Besides KWA-KSA, KSA-PNI nad PNI-TKK should be added as these are all 5th freedom as well. I've been studying 154 for a bit after watching Sam Chui's (?) video.

I excluded those routes because KSA, PNI and TKK are all airports in the Federated States of Micronesia, fifth freedom flights are flights between 2 other countries, not between 2 points of another country. Hope you understand!

[kingoftheskies]

Updated Emirates, Scoot, AirAsia and KLM.