MINISTER OF TRANSPORT ANNOUNCES DESIGNATIONS FOR NEW INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULED
AIR SERVICES TO GUYANA AND TURKEY

OTTAWA, Dec. 17 /CNW/ - The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced the designation of Enerjet to operate scheduled international air services between Canada and Guyana, and of Air Transat to operate scheduled international air services between Canada and Turkey.

"These designations will provide additional flight choices for consumers travelling between Canada and these two countries," said Minister Strahl. "The designations also contribute to the growth of the Canadian air industry." 

Enerjet is a new Canadian entrant into the scheduled international air services market, with Guyana being the airline's inaugural destination.

Under Canada's Multiple Designation policy, all Canadian air carriers may apply to the Minister of Transport for designation to operate scheduled international air services. These designations were made possible by the 2005 Canada-Guyana and 2009 Canada-Turkey air transport agreements.

Since the launch of the Blue Sky policy in November 2006, the Government of Canada has negotiated air transport agreements with more than 50 countries, including:

• open skies-type agreements with nine countries: Ireland, Iceland, New Zealand, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, South Korea, El Salvador and Switzerland;
  
  
• expanded agreements with seven countries: Mexico, Japan, Jordan, Singapore, the Philippines, Morocco and Cuba;
  
  
• new "first-time" agreements with eight countries: Kuwait, Serbia, Croatia, Panama, Turkey, South Africa, Ethiopia and Tunisia; and
  
  
• 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 agreements.

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For further information:

Contacts:

John Babcock Press Secretary Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Ottawa 613-991-0700

Media Relations Transport Canada, Ottawa 613-993-0055