DOT 105-01
Wednesday, October 10, 2001
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
United States, Morocco Sign Open-Skies Aviation Agreement
U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced that the United States and Morocco today signed an Open-Skies aviation agreement, removing restrictions on air services to, from and beyond each other’s country.
The
agreement was signed in Rabat, Morocco, by U.S. Ambassador Margaret D. Tutwiler
and Moroccan Minister of Transportation and Merchant Marine Abdeslam Zenined.
The agreement, which was finalized Oct. 11, 2000, establishes a new air
transport relationship between the two countries, replacing a bilateral
agreement dating from 1970.
“Transportation is an essential part of world trade, and the Bush administration will continue to seek to liberalize international aviation markets in order to fully realize the benefits air transportation brings to the global economy,” Secretary Mineta said. “This agreement will support the administration’s initiative to boost trade between the United States and North Africa as well as the U.S.-Morocco economic partnership through closer links in transport, trade and tourism."
Since the agreement was initialed last year, Delta Air Lines and Royal Air Maroc have entered into code-share agreements to serve a number of points in the United States, including New York, Boston, Miami, and San Francisco. Delta also provides service to both Casablanca and Rabat through code-shares with Air France. Northwest Airlines has also started code-share service to Casablanca with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Open
Skies agreements permit unrestricted air service by the airlines of both
countries between and beyond each other's territory, eliminating restrictions on
how often the carriers can fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices
they charge. It also provides for
full liberalization of scheduled and charter combination and all-cargo services
over a five-year transition period. The
United States has now reached Open Skies agreements with 53 partners worldwide,
including countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and
the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
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