Fri, Oct 10, 2003
It's The First Between The Two Countries
The United States and Vietnam today
concluded the first comprehensive air services agreement between
the two countries. The delegations initialed the agreement
after three days of talks in Hanoi.
"This agreement allowing the first direct US-Vietnam air service
will help meet current market demand as well as stimulate future
growth in tourism and other commercial activity between our two
nations," US Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta
said. "We look forward to future discussions with the
Vietnamese government that will further expand air service
opportunities in the market."
In March 2000, the two countries agreed to permit a limited
amount of code-sharing, which allowed US and Vietnamese airlines to
place their designator codes on each other's flights or those of
third-country carriers. Today's agreement allows the airlines of
both countries to provide US-Vietnam air service with their own
aircraft as well as expanded code sharing.
The achievement comes after several
years of discussions. The two sides had first expressed
interest in concluding an air transport agreement shortly after the
lifting of the US economic embargo on Vietnam in 1994. Negotiations
were previously held in 1998 and 2000, as well as in March and June
this year.
Under the agreement, two passenger carriers from each country
may provide scheduled US-Vietnam service immediately. A third
passenger carrier may begin service starting in the third
year. Each scheduled carrier may operate seven weekly round
trip flights between the two countries. The agreement also
permits an unlimited number of scheduled all-cargo carriers to
operate with no limits on weekly frequencies. The agreement
also features unlimited rights for cargo charters, and allows
carriers of each side to operate up to 52 passenger charter flights
per year.
The new agreement will remain in effect for five years.
The two sides agreed to meet within four years to consider a
further expansion of air service opportunities, at which time the
United States will seek a fully liberalized Open-Skies
agreement.
The two sides will implement the agreement's terms on an interim
basis pending the completion of formalities to formally enter the
agreement into force.
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