EU-U.S. aviation deal delayed
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union and the United States will miss a June deadline to strike a trans-Atlantic aviation deal. The "open skies" agreement could boost air travel, create jobs and lower passenger fares, officials said yesterday.
The European Commission's director of air transport, Daniel Calleja, said the EU and U.S. hoped the pact could enter into force on March 25, 2007, before the summer traffic starts. An agreement would bring together the world's two largest aviation markets and 60 percent of global traffic, allowing EU and U.S. airlines to fly to wherever they want and charge whatever they want on trans-Atlantic flights. Authorities on both sides say the deal is badly needed. Under the present bilateral pacts, European airlines can fly to any U.S. airport only from airports in their home country. For example, Air France can only fly to the U.S. from airports based in France.
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