THE OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA - THE RESULTS. DOES IT SUGGEST THE NEED FOR A WIDER PACT AND A MORE LIBERAL AIR PACT?

摘要

On February 24,1995 the signing of the Open Skies Agreement by the President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton and the Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien was heralded as a new historic aviation accord. It was a major breakthrough in bilateral relations and a first for the two nations in liberalizing air travel. Not surprisingly, news of this accord made headlines in all the national newspapers as a tribute to its importance and significance. It signalled the dawning of a new era in bilateral negotiations for the world. In this paper, we shall first briefly review the major elements of the 1966 bilateral agreement between Canada and the US and the 1995 Open Skies Agreement. Second, we shall present the statistical data on transborder services. Third, we shall examine the results, and then review the findings of other studies and recent developments. Finally, we shall present the pros and cons for a wider Agreement with a few concluding remarks.