Open Skies Agreement With US On The Way

U.S. airlines in Canada soon, minister says CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — Transport Minister Jean Lapierre says he intends to move "faster than you think" toward a deal with the United States that would allow American airlines to carry passengers between Canadian cities. Lapierre plans to meet with his U.S. counterpart in about two weeks to kickstart negotiations toward a so-called open-skies treaty with Washington. The travelling public and opposition politicians seem open to the idea of allowing U.S. airlines to compete with Canadian airlines on routes between Canadian cities, Lapierre said in an interview with The Canadian Press. Current rules permit foreign carriers to fly in and out of Canada but forbid them flying between communities, such as Toronto-Vancouver or Halifax-Montreal. An open-skies deal would also allow Canadian carriers to fly between American cities. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1107776108186&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes