United seeks open skies over Pacific
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
August 05, 2006
AUSTRALIA faces new pressure to open up lucrative air routes across the Pacific, this time from the US.
United Airlines has told the US Government it should use moves by Jetstar and Virgin Blue to establish trans-Pacific services as a lever to negotiate an open-skies policy with Australia.
The giant carrier, the only US airline to fly direct services from the US's west coast, says Australian carriers have found themselves "hoist on the petard constructed by their own protectionist policies".
United says the US should use the leverage created by the situation "to achieve an end of all anti-competitive restrictions for all carriers on all routes".
United notes that it had been prevented from adding the level of service it wanted on US-Australia routes via Japan.
It says: "Rather than offering an incremental exception to the capacity limits to accommodate Jetstar's schedule, the US should offer Australia and its carriers the opportunity to operate services without any restriction on capacity or routings by entering into an open-skies agreement."
Full Story...