U.S., Canada expands 'Open Skies'

OTTAWA, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Ottawa and Washington Friday expanded their Open Skies Agreement so airlines from each nation may get passengers or cargo in the other and fly to a third.

The agreement expands on the 1995 Canada-U.S. Air Transport Agreement that governs such things as the prices that airlines can charge for services and the number of flights airlines can run and how each partner could collect passengers in the other's territory.

The key change liberalized Canadian air carriers' access to third countries. For example, a Canadian air carrier can now take passengers to the United States, pick up U.S. passengers and fly them to a third country, CTV said.

Air Canada hailed Friday's development.

"This revitalized agreement allows us to enhance and capitalize on our cooperative arrangements with our Star Alliance partners, particularly on the transatlantic and transpacific markets," said Robert Milton, head of Air Canada's parent company.