USA and Barbados Reach Open-Skies Aviation Agreement

The United States and Barbados have reached an Open-Skies Agreement that will liberalize U.S.-Barbados air services for airlines of both countries. Barbados will become the 99th U.S. Open-Skies partner. Upon signature of the agreement, airlines from both countries will be allowed to select routes, destinations and prices for both passenger and cargo service based on consumer demand and market conditions. The agreement, which was reached on July 1, for the first time provides airlines of both countries with code-sharing and intermodal rights.

Source: DOT press release 132-10 of July 2, 2010

Israeli tour guides permitted to return to Bethlehem

According to an agreement between the Israel Ministry of Tourism and tourism officials in the Palestinian Authority, Israeli tour guides and tour operators have been permitted to return to Bethlehem for the first time in nearly a decade. Prior to this agreement, Israeli guides were not allowed to work in the West Bank but were replaced by Palestinian guides when tours crossed into the West Bank from Israel.

Source: Travel Weekly; find article here>>.

USA and Europe sign new Open Skies Agreement

The U.S. and Europe have signed an agreement expanding the 2007 U.S.-EU Open-Skies Accord. The new agreement also affirms that the terms of the 2007 accord will remain in place indefinitely. It deepens U.S.-EU cooperation in aviation security, safety, competition and ease of travel, and provides greater protections for U.S. carriers from local restrictions on night flights at European airports. It also includes a ground-breaking article on the importance of high labor standards in the airline industry. The new agreement also underscores the importance of close transatlantic cooperation on aviation environmental matters in order to advance a global approach to global challenges.

Source: DOT press release of June 24, 2010

USA and Switzerland sign enhanced Open Skies Transport Agreement

Officials of the United States and Switzerland have signed an enhanced Open Skies Air Transport Agreement, replacing the previous agreement signed in 1995. The new agreement entered into force upon signature. The new agreement includes all of the essential elements of Open Skies and adds the right for airlines of both countries to operate all-cargo flights to third countries without a connection to the home country (“7th freedom rights”). In addition, the new agreement permits Swiss airlines to be owned and controlled by nationals of any member state of the European Union and extends to Swiss airlines the opportunity to compete under the “Fly America Act” for certain U.S. government civilian agency-funded passenger and cargo traffic between the United States and Switzerland and between non-U.S. points.

Source: travelpulse; find article here>>.

USA/European Union: U.S. protectionism threatens next phase of open-skies talks

A key sticking point in negotiations over Open Skies II, which are set to resume in May, is the issue of foreign ownership of U.S. airlines.

The competing views of Europe and the U.S. seemed to drift further apart this month: while in the U.S., Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, reaffirmed his support for tightening foreign-ownership restrictions by inserting protectionist language in legislation to reauthorize FAA funding, the European perspective is that restrictions must be loosened, not tightened, if airlines serving the market hoped to survive the recession.

Source: Travel Weekly; find article here>>.

Europe and Canada agree to open-skies deal

The European Union and Canada have agreed to an open-skies planthat will make Europe-Canada one of the most liberal aviation markets in the world. When the plan is completely phased in, European nationals will be able to establish operations in Canada and freely invest in Canadian airlines, and vice versa. Consumer-protection provisions also will be included.

The deal is considerably more liberal than the U.S.-E.U. aviation agreement, because it includes a commitment to eventually permit cabotage.

Source: Travel Weekly, find article here>>.

"Europe and US sign aviation agreement to improve safety and cut costs"

According to the EU Press Room, "As of today, aviation relations between the European Community and the United States will be further strengthened through an agreement on aviation safety. Thanks to the mutual recognition of aviation safety certificates, the agreement will result in better harmonised safety systems on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as less cumbersome technical and administrative procedures for the recognition of certificates. It is expected that this will entail further improvement in safety levels and reduce costs by several millions of euros every year for European and US manufacturers alike. These savings should in turn be reflected in fares for passengers."

This press release is available in full text.

Belize: agreement to balance cruise ship tourism and conservation

Members of Belize’s cruise tourism industry on Monday signed a Declaration of Commitment, in which key industry stakeholders - including government, private sector, civil society (NGOs) and the cruise lines – commit to create sustainable cruise tourism practices, such as protecting coral reefs. The commitment is the second such environmental agreement developed for Caribbean passenger cruise line destinations by Conservation International’s (CI) Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI). It is also the first to address considerations by an established nature tourism destination and will likely serve as a model for cruise line travel destinations around the world.

Source: EurekAlert!; find full article here>>.

"European Community strengthens aviation relations with Australia"

As stated by the EU Press Room, "Today, the European Union and Australia signed an aviation agreement which allows European airlines to fly between any EU Member State and Australia. 'I welcome this important step in the EU's air transport relations with Australia,' said Jacques Barrot, Vice-President in charge of transport. 'This will pave the way for a comprehensive aviation agreement involving cooperation in key aviation areas such as competition, safety and the environment.'
The horizontal agreement signed today removes nationality restrictions in the bilateral air services agreements between EU Member States and Australia and therefore allows any EU airline to operate flights between any EU Member State where it is established and Australia. This agreement acknowledges the existence of the European single market for air transport in the relations between the EU and Australia. It demonstrates that there is an external dimension of the single market for air transport. The agreement recognises that airlines in the EU are not any longer national airlines but Community airlines."

This Press Release is available in full text.

USA/European Union: no benefits from open skies agreement?

The open skies agreement between the US and the European Union goes into effect this weekend. But more choices and cheaper fares for travelers may be a little ways off, analysts say.
The agreement between the United States and the European Union is to take effect on Sunday, March 31, and will end most restrictions on US and EU airlines' ability to fly between the two continents. Different air carriers will be allowed to depart or land at various locations on both continents.
The concept of the open market dictating flight routes between the Europe and the US originally held the promise of cheaper airfares and more choices for travelers, but analysts say the turmoil in the US economy and the airline industry may prevent immediate benefits.

Soruce: eTurboNews; more information here>>

"Commission recommends negotiations for an agreement with the United States of America on certain conditions for access to the US Visa Waiver Program"

As stated today by the EU Press Room, "Today the Commission recommended to the Council to open negotiations on an agreement between the European Community and the United States of America regarding certain conditions for access to the United States' Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
When adopting the Commission's proposal Vice-President Franco Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, said: 'It is our objective to ensure that all EU citizens can travel visa-free to the U.S. We should make sure that Europe shows political and legal solidarity. The recommendation provides for this. It caters for proper EC negotiations with the U.S. on matters arising from our common visa policy.' He added 'I trust this recommendation becomes a further stepping stone in the joint EU-US efforts to find the smartest ways to promote international travel, mobility and exchanges whilst simultaneously providing security for their citizens.'."

This Press Release is available in full text.

"Towards visa-free travel"

As stated today by the EU Press Room, "The Commission is launching a dialogue with each of the Western Balkan countries on visa liberalisation. It will soon propose road-maps outlining conditions to be met before the visa obligation can be lifted."

This Press Release is available in full text.

"The Commission adopts recommendations to open negotiations for short stay visa waiver agreements with six countries"

As stated by the EU Press Room, "The Commission made today the first step towards the conclusion of short stay visa waiver agreements between the European Community and six third countries: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Mauritius, Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Seychelles. The recommendations to authorise the Commission to open negotiations are to be submitted to the Council.
'The Commission intends to open the negotiations on the visa waiver with the six countries as soon as the negotiating directives will be approved by the Council, thus providing for the full implementation of the existing legal framework', stated Vice-President Franco Frattini, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security."

This Press Release is available in full text.

"European Commission proposes to open aviation negotiations with Israel"

As stated by the EU Press Room, "Today, the European Commission proposed to open negotiations with Israel on a comprehensive aviation agreement. As part of the process of creating a Common Aviation Area with its Eastern and Southern neighbours by 2010, the Commission's aim is to establish an open aviation area between the EU and Israel, to lift market restrictions and to achieve a high level of regulatory convergence."

This Press Release is available in full text.

"U.S. Seeks to Tighten Int'l Air Security While Promoting Inbound Travel"

As reported by David Jonas, at The Transnational, "U.S. and European officials last week reached a new agreement on sharing transatlantic air passenger data, a development that would remove the threat of suspended U.S. landing rights for European airlines. Industry groups that had feared a possible disruption to business travel after 31 July--when an interim deal expires--applauded the agreement, which still requires final approval from 27 European Union member states.
As U.S. officials were resolving that potential snag in the transatlantic aviation market, a Senate Commerce committee passed new legislation that would promote inbound travel by foreigners while the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, congressional leaders and industry representatives were discussing the latest efforts to collect biometric information from both inbound and outbound international travelers."

This article is available in full text.

"DOT Allows BA To Expand Transatlantic Routes"

"The U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday granted British Airways blanket authority to serve any point in the United States from any point in the European Union upon the enactment of the Open Skies agreement next March.
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh last week during a presentation at a BritishAmerican Business forum in New York said BA last month became the first Europe-based carrier to file for the blanket authority afforded by the recent approval of the EU-U.S. Open Skies treaty, and already had its sights set on origin cities in the European Union-including Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Brussels and Milan-to serve New York and other U.S. cities." Read More>>
(Source: BTNonline.com)

"Air policy and Air Jamaica"

At the Jamaica Gleaner, Stephen Vascianne states that "Earlier this month, the Government of Jamaica participated in negotiations with the British Government on matters pertaining to the conclusion of a new Air Services Agreement between both countries.
This round of negotiations was the latest in a series undertaken by representatives of the Jamaican Air Policy Committee with other countries. The series included negotiations with Germany, Chile and Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
The negotiations with individual countries raise a number of technical questions concerning air law and the economics of air transportation; but they also prompt issues that may be of direct importance to Jamaicans at home and abroad, tourism interests and the trade sector."

Read more.

The European "Commission proposes to open aviation negotiations with Canada"

As stated by the EU Press Room, "The European Commission has proposed today to open negotiations with Canada on a comprehensive aviation agreement. The aim is to establish an open aviation area between the EU and Canada, to open market restrictions and to achieve a high level of regulatory convergence.
Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot, in charge of transport said: 'Canada is a key partner of the European Union. This agreement will facilitate the travel of people and goods between the EU and Canada and will establish a high level of regulatory standards, in particular in the fields of safety and security.'"

This Press Release is available in full text.

No Deal on Passenger Data Transmission to US Authorities

The United States and the European Union failed to reach a new deal on sharing air passenger data before a Saturday deadline. Reaching an agreement before the deadline was an EU priority to ensure that airlines could continue to legally submit data about passengers flying from Europe to the United States. These data - including credit card details - must be transferred to the U.S. authorities within 15 minutes of a flight's departure to the U.S.. The European Court of Justice, in May ruled that the deal, put in place after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was illegal because it had not used the correct basis in EU law. However, court allowed the data to keep flowing until Saturday to give officials time to negotiate a new agreement. Washington has warned that airlines failing to share the data will face fines and the loss of U.S. landing rights. Without the deal, airlines that provide the data to the U.S. authorities could face legal action from the national data protection authorities in EU states. Officials said negotiations would continue. Source: http://www.travelindustryreview.com/news/3215.

(Originally posted by Michael Wukoschitz)

European "Cooperation agreement with the USA on modernising air traffic management"

According to the EU Press Room, "Vice-President Jacques Barrot, the Commissioner responsible for transport, and Marion C. Blakey of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), recently signed a cooperation agreement that will ensure coordination between their respective programmes for the modernisation of air traffic control, SESAR on the European side, and NGATS ('Next Generation Air Transport System') on the American side.
'We must have compatible technologies and standards between Europe and the United States. This is obviously a question of good economic sense but also a safety issue: you cannot ask an aircraft to change over its equipment in the middle of the Atlantic depending on whether it is being controlled by the USA or Europe', said Jacques Barrot. 'With this agreement, we will be sure that the technological choices made on the two sides of the Atlantic are coordinated for the benefit of the aviation industry'.
'As FAA moves forward its aggressive air traffic modernization efforts, it’s vital that we coordinate with our global partners,' said Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Marion C. Blakey. 'This memorandum provides the framework for a more effective, performance-based air transportation system between the United States and Europe.
'As FAA moves forward its aggressive air traffic modernization efforts, it’s vital that we coordinate with our global partners,' said Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Marion C. Blakey. 'This memorandum provides the framework for a more effective, performance-based air transportation system between the United States and Europe.'
SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research Programme) is currently in its definition phase which has been entrusted to a consortium of 30 companies. On 9 June 2006 the Council of Ministers adopted general guidelines for the next phase of SESAR, the 'development phase', during which all the new technologies and systems will be constructed. Ministers approved the principle of creating a 'SESAR Joint Undertaking' which will be responsible for managing the development phase.

The cooperation agreement signed by the Commission and the FAA at the Farnborough airshow will not only make it possible to put in place the mechanisms for coordinating the two programmes but also includes a reciprocity clause that will allow European industry to participate in the American programme and American industry to participate in SESAR.

For more information, see:
- 'MEMO' SESAR :
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air/single_sky/sesame/doc/2005_11_memo_sesar_fr.pdf

- Air Transport
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air/single_sky/sesame/index_en.htm"