RP, US to address ‘open skies’ issue

A US delegation has proposed to meet with Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez for a government-government discussion on bilateral and multilateral options for establishing an open skies relationship between the Philippines and the United States.

The meeting is set for July 30, and although the meeting will be exploratory, the US has put forward its intention for a more expansive "Open Skies Policy" with the Philippines. At present the US has such agreements with other Asian countries mainly Singapore and Malaysia. The meeting will take the form of a round table discussion, an exchange of opinion, with no commitments on both ends.

In an "open skies" agreement, air carriers of two countries are free to serve any point in the other country, setting fares and service standards based on commercial considerations, not government regulations.

The last time the Philippines and the US signed an aviation agreement was in September 1995. Under the agreement, which will commence on Oct. 1, 2003 both countries may designate two additional all-cargo carriers in the US-Philippine market. Local carriers were also allowed to expand access to US cities through direct and code-share operations.

The Philippines will be represented by the Department of Transportation and Communications, Department of Foreign Affairs, Civil Aeronautics Board and Air Transportation Office. The US will have representatives from its Department of Transportation and the State Department.