No. H 057/09
For release - April 9, 2009
TOKYO — The Government of Canada has reached an agreement with Japan to expand the existing bilateral air transport agreement between the two countries. The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, announced that this agreement will benefit trade, tourism and investments in Canada's economy.
"This expanded agreement will be of considerable benefit to Canadian business," said Minister Day, who is in Tokyo for a series of meetings aimed at opening new opportunities for Canadian exporters and investors. "This agreement will permit Canadian citizens to fly directly to regions in Japan outside of Tokyo, making their travel more efficient. As well, it will help create new jobs for our economy, expand market potential and build connections for our citizens across the important Asia-Pacific Gateway."
"This new agreement marks a major shift toward a broader and more modern approach for air services between Canada and Japan," said Canada's Transport Minister, John Baird. "The expanded arrangement will allow Canadian airlines and airports opportunities to offer competitive prices to travellers, helping to create jobs and boost our economy."
This expanded agreement allows airlines to offer unlimited services between Canada and any city in Japan outside of the Tokyo area. It also allows, for the first time, under certain conditions, access to Haneda Airport, Tokyo's metropolitan airport. The agreement further includes modernized aviation safety and security provisions and provides mechanisms for airline prices to adapt faster to market fluctuations.
This new agreement marks further progress in the Government of Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative (APGCI). The $1 billion APGCI is a national initiative that focuses on ensuring Canada's competitiveness in global commerce, including air services, while also benefiting local communities by improving the safety, security and environmental sustainability of the transportation system in the long term. In the two years since the Government of Canada launched this initiative, strategic infrastructure projects valued at over $2.6 billion have been announced across all four western provinces, including a total federal contribution of almost $1 billion from the APGCI and other sources.
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