No. H028/10
For release - March 1, 2010
OTTAWA — Canada’s Transport Minister John Baird and the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today announced Canada’s first-ever air transport agreement with Tunisia.
“With the completion of this agreement with Tunisia, the Government of Canada has now signed or expanded an air agreement with 50 countries worldwide since 2006,” said Baird. “We have worked at this unprecedented pace because air agreements result in more convenient flights and cheaper fares to help travellers, businesses, shippers and the tourism industry.”
“Our government is committed to creating prosperity for Canadian businesses and Canadian communities through promoting the free movement of goods, services and people. Air transport agreements are one of a number of ways that our government is helping Canadian companies expand their commercial relationships around the world,” said Minister Van Loan. “This air transport agreement complements other avenues we are pursuing with Tunisia to facilitate trade and investment, including measures to protect foreign investment.”
Airlines of each country will now be able to provide scheduled air services in the other’s territory.
The agreement also provides airlines with the flexibility to adjust their prices to meet current market conditions. In addition, airlines may choose to offer air services using the flights of other airlines, commonly known as code-sharing services.
The agreement is being applied administratively, which allows new air services to be introduced immediately.
Since January 2006, the Government of Canada has negotiated open, new or expanded air service agreements with 50 countries:
- open skies-type agreements with eight countries: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and South Korea;
- expanded agreements with nine countries: Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Jordan, Singapore, the Philippines, Morocco and Cuba;
- new “first-time” agreements with nine countries: Algeria, Kuwait, Serbia, Croatia, Panama, Turkey, South Africa, Ethiopia and Tunisia; and
- a comprehensive air transport agreement between Canada and the European Union’s 27 member states. This includes Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia, with which Canada did not previously have air agreements.
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