For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 15, 2001
Statement by the Press Secretary
U.S. and Poland Sign Open Skies Agreement
The United States and Poland will sign an Open Skies air transport
agreement on June 18, 2001. The accord demonstrates the
growing ties between the United States and Poland. It
provides a basis for the development of significant new commercial
opportunities for both counties and facilitates new cooperation between
U.S. and Polish airlines.
Compared to the existing agreement that was reached in 1988, the new
agreement represents a substantial expansion in air transport
opportunities for airlines of both countries. By the time
the agreement becomes fully effective in January 2004, U.S. airlines
will have access to all of Poland while Polish airlines will have
access to the entire United States. Last year, some 355,077
passengers traveled between the U.S. and Poland on the Polish national
airline, LOT. There will be no limits on frequency or the
number of flights.
Open Skies agreements permit unrestricted air service by the airlines
of both countries between and beyond the other's territory, eliminating
restrictions on how often the carriers can fly, the kind of aircraft
they use and the prices they charge. The United States now
has negotiated over 50 Open Skies agreements with partners in Africa,
Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and the
Middle East.
Fact Sheet
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