Harper government announces more choices for air travel to the Caribbean and Central America

OTTAWA, Aug. 8, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced the designations of Air Transat and WestJet to operate scheduled international air services between Canada and several destinations in the Caribbean and Central America, providing more choice and convenience to travellers.

The Minister designated Air Transat to make scheduled flights to Costa Rica, Sint Maarten, Barbados, Antigua/Barbuda, and Nicaragua. WestJet was designated to serve Costa Rica and Curaçao.

"Our government is promoting the growth and competiveness of the Canadian air industry", said Minister Lebel. "These designations will expand options for air travellers between Canada and these countries."

Air carriers may apply to the Minister of Transport for designation to operate scheduled international air services. The designations announced today were made possible by the existing air transport agreements with these countries. The agreements with Costa Rica, Sint Maarten, Barbados, and Nicaragua are of the Open Skies-type and were negotiated under the Blue Sky policy.

Since November 2006, Canada's Blue Sky policy has encouraged long-term, sustainable competition and the development of new and expanded international air transport services. Under this policy, Canada has concluded open, new or expanded air transport agreements covering over 60 countries, including:

• Open Skies-type agreements with 16 countries: Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, South Korea, El Salvador, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Brazil, Honduras, Nicaragua, Sint Maarten and Curaçao;
• Expanded agreements with 10 countries: Mexico, Japan, Jordan, Singapore, the Philippines, Morocco, Cuba, Egypt, Algeria, and China;
• New "first-time" agreements with 10 countries: Kuwait, Serbia, Croatia, Panama, Turkey, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Qatar and Colombia;
• A comprehensive air transport agreement between Canada and the European Union's 27 member states. This includes Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia, with which Canada did not previously have air transport agreements.

SOURCE: Transport Canada

Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and
Communities, Ottawa 613-991-0700

Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055

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