No. H081/11
For release - September 2, 2011
OTTAWA — The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced the designation of Sunwing Airlines to operate scheduled international air services between Canada and Aruba, and Canada and the Bahamas, providing travellers with direct flight choices between Canada and these two Caribbean markets.
"These designations provide Canadians with direct flight options to Aruba and the Bahamas rather than having to make a connection via another point," said Minister Lebel. “In addition to promoting more convenient international travel options for consumers, the designations will play an important role in increasing growth and competition in the Canadian airline industry."
Under Canada’s 2002 Multiple Designation policy, all Canadian air carriers may apply to the minister for designation to operate scheduled international air services. The designation of Sunwing Airlines to serve Aruba and the Bahamas was made possible by an existing air transport agreement between the Government of Canada and the two countries.
Since November 2006, Canada’s Blue Sky policy has encouraged long-term, sustainable competition and the development of new and expanded international air transport services. Under this policy, the Government of Canada has concluded open, new or expanded air transport agreements with 57 countries, including:
- Open Skies-type agreements with 12 countries: Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, South Korea, El Salvador, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Brazil;
- expanded agreements with nine countries: Mexico, Japan, Jordan, Singapore, the Philippines, Morocco, Cuba, Egypt and Algeria;
- new first-time agreements with nine countries: Kuwait, Serbia, Croatia, Panama, Turkey, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Qatar; 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 transport agreements.
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