Open Skies Agreements create a free market for aviation services and provide substantial benefits for travelers, shippers, and communities as well as for the economy of each country.
Bilateral Open Skies Agreements give the airlines of both countries the right to operate air services from any point in one country to any point in the other, as well as to and from third countries. These rights enable airlines to network using strategic points across the globe.
These agreements are either bilateral or multilateral. The United States has negotiated 59 bilateral agreements. In November 2000 the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and Chile concluded the Multilateral Agreement on the Liberalization of International Air Transportation to replace the bilateral agreements between them. The Multilateral Agreement was signed on May 1, 2001 in Washington, DC. Peru and Samoa have also acceded to the agreement.
