The skies that bind: The evolution of civil aviation in Communist Europe and the role of international agreements

Abstract

This thesis examines the development of civil aviation in Communist Europe from 1945 to 1970, focusing on political, legal, economic, and technological factors. Most of that region fell into the orbit of the Soviet Union, which provided aircraft, and encouraged isolation from the West in aviation matters. This isolation was compounded by the United States, which enacted a policy of Containment against Communist nations that enacted restrictions applying to aircraft and access to airspace. This limited the growth of Communist airlines and fostered interdependence within the Soviet sphere. Connections between East and West began to grow by the mid-1950s as restrictions were reduced, opening a market for air travel. The formation of air links and growing tourist travel indicated a current for European unity even during the height of the conflict, suggesting that the end of the Cold War started far earlier than the fall of the Berlin Wall.