EU reaches air services 'breakthrough' with Canada

[Pieter C. 5]

EU reaches air services 'breakthrough' with Canada, inks accords with Armenia, Israel

 

Wednesday December 10, 2008

The EU yesterday announced a far-reaching air services agreement with Canada that includes reciprocal investment and signed new air services accords with Armenia and Israel.

 

A European Commission statement hailed "a breakthrough in the EU-Canada negotiations. . .[that] both completes the transatlantic market started with the EU-US first stage aviation agreement and goes well beyond it." Under terms of the agreement expected to be signed soon, all EU airlines will be able to operate direct flights to Canada from anywhere in Europe and all restrictions on routes, prices or weekly flight numbers between Canada and the EU will be eliminated.

 

"Other traffic rights will be liberalized gradually in parallel with the opening up of investment opportunities," the EC said, adding, "EU nationals will be able to establish operations in Canada and freely invest in Canadian airlines and vice versa." VP and Commissioner for Transport Antonio Tajani called the accord "groundbreaking in the aviation world as the agreement includes all possible aspects of aviation, including investment." Air Canada commented that it will open "a realm of new commercial opportunities. . .in Canada's second-largest travel market after the US."

 

The agreement signed with Armenia will allow all European airlines to fly between Armenia and any EU state. The pact signed with Israel "will remove nationality restrictions. . .[allowing] any EU airline to operate flights between any EU member state and Israel where a bilateral agreement with Israel exists and traffic rights are available," the EC said.