Close allies shun open skies pact with US

Many close allies of the United States have rejected an open skies agreement with Washington because of the uneven playing field in favor of American carriers.

Robert Lim Joseph, president of the Save Our Skies (SOS) movement, which is promoting progressive air liberalization, said of the 200 countries as potential bilateral partners, only 58 have open skies agreements with the US, many which are small states with no local flag carriers.

"Out of these countries with open skies agreements with the US, only Germany and Canada are worth mentioning," Joseph said. Some of the countries with open skies agreements with the US are Ghana, El Salvador, Barbados, Cape Verde, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and non-sovereign emirates like Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Many of these open skies partners of the US have also small aviation markets like Singapore and Brunei and some with only one airport. "They have nothing to lose in entering into such an arrangement with the US," he pointed out.

Joseph said among the major allies that spurned an open skies agreement with the US are the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, Australia and Saudi Arabia as well as China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.

"The UK, which is the number one ally of the US, has refused to accede to a US-style open skies bilateral agreement because the conditions are unequal," he said. British Prime Minister Tony Blair reportedly wants better terms from the US.

"Likewise, Japan and Australia, which are closely associated with the US, have rejected such an arrangement with the US since this would only profit the American carriers," he added.

Joseph said if these countries that refused an open skies agreement with the US have looked into their national interest first before they consider giving in to the US, why should not the Philippines do the same, specially if its flag carrier is still under rehabilitation and the other airline just beginning its international operations.

He said the US imposes strict limits on foreign shareholdings in American airlines and refuses to permit foreign carriers to fly domestic flights in the US.

But Joseph said the two countries should consider a special open skies agreement whereby Philippine carriers would be allowed to fly domestic flights in the US for both passenger and cargo as well as code sharing arrangement. "The Philippines and the US have close relationship so there is no reason for the latter not to consider this," he said.