Open Skies Aviation Agreement with Ethiopia

U.S. Signs Open Skies Aviation Agreement with Ethiopia

The United States is pleased to announce the signing of an Open Skies air transport agreement with Ethiopia. U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Maria Cino and Ethiopian State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Asegide signed the agreement today, May 17, 2005 in Washington, D.C.

This is the first air services agreement between the United States and Ethiopia. It allows airlines to make commercial decisions with minimal government intervention. It provides for open routes, capacity, frequencies, designations, and pricing, as well as opportunities for cooperative marketing arrangements, including code sharing. It also includes all-cargo seventh freedom rights, allowing airlines to perform international cargo operations without connecting to their homeland.

Establishing Open Skies as the basis of U.S.-Ethiopian aviation relations is an important step toward spurring trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchange between the two nations.

With this signing, Ethiopia is the 70th country with which the United States has negotiated a bilateral Open Skies agreement.

SOURCE: state.gov 2005/522 Released on May 17, 2005 Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC May 17, 2005