DOT 114-01
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
United
States, Sri Lanka Reach Open-Skies Aviation Agreement
U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced that the United States and Sri Lanka today concluded an Open-Skies aviation agreement that when fully effective will remove all restrictions on air services to, from and beyond each other’s territory.
“Open-Skies agreements have been shown to bring substantial economic benefits to shippers, travelers and communities in the United States and abroad,” Secretary Mineta said. “I am very pleased that Sri Lanka has joined us in the community of nations supporting free trade in aviation services.”
The agreement, reached after three days of negotiations in Washington, is the fourth reached during the Bush administration, following Poland, Oman and France, and the United States’ 56th Open-Skies agreement.
Open-Skies agreements eliminate restrictions on how often carriers can fly, the kind of aircraft they can use, and the prices they can charge. The agreement covers both passenger and cargo services, as well as scheduled and charter operations.
Most elements of Open Skies will take place immediately, with others to be phased in. Pricing liberalization will take effect Dec. 31, 2004, passenger charter liberalization Dec. 31, 2006, and the ability of U.S. carriers to provide their own ground handling services in Sri Lanka March 31, 2008. In addition, U.S.-carrier Sri Lanka passenger service involving a stop in India may carry local traffic between India and Sri Lanka only after Dec. 31, 2006. The agreement is provisionally effective immediately.
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