NEWS RELEASES
CANADA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC SIGNAIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT
March 13, 1996 No. 37
CANADA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC SIGN
AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT
Minister for International Trade Art Eggleton today signed in Prague a new Air
Transport Agreement between Canada and the Czech Republic.
"This new, more flexible agreement is a further step forward in expanding
relations between our two countries," said Mr. Eggleton, speaking on behalf of
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Transport Minister David Anderson.
"The growth of bilateral air services is essential to the continuing improvement
of trade and cultural links between Canada and the Czech Republic."
Under the agreement, both sides gained the additional operational and commercial
flexibility needed for both the Czech designated airline, CSA, and Air Canada, to
fully exploit this small but expanding air travel market. In addition, the
agreement's new provisions on safety standards and aviation security reflect
significant improvements in technical requirements and procedures in these areas.
As a direct result of this agreement, CSA plans to increase its flights to Toronto
in early April from two to three times weekly, two of which will continue to serve
Montreal. Although not operating its own aircraft to the Czech Republic, Air
Canada plans to enter the market through collaboration with another airline at an
intermediate European point.
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For further information, media representatives may contact
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
or
Robert Greenslade
Chief, Media Relations
Transport Canada
(613) 990-6055
Backgrounder
CANADA-CZECH REPUBLIC AIR RELATIONS
Canada's bilateral air agreement with the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic,
concluded in 1969, permitted Czechoslovak Airlines (CSA) to serve Montreal only.
During negotiations held in October 1991, Canada granted the then-Czech and
Slovak Federative Republic the right for CSA to serve Toronto, subject to some
capacity restrictions. CSA now operates twice weekly to Montreal and Toronto.
No Canadian carrier currently serves the Czech Republic.
In May 1995, the Minister of Transport announced that Air Canada was designated
to serve the Czech Republic under the terms of Canada's new international air
transportation policy.
Canadian and Czech delegations met in Ottawa in December 1995 to conclude a
bilateral air agreement between Canada and the new Czech Republic. The two sides
agreed to modest changes to the 1991 Agreement which could considerably increase
air travel between the two countries.
It was confirmed at the December 1995 negotiations that Air Canada could sell
transportation under its own airline code on another carrier's flights via a
European gateway for services between Canada and the Czech Republic. This code-sharing ability enables Air Canada to pursue the Canada-Czech market in commercial
collaboration with either CSA or another airline.
The two countries also agreed to important new technical provisions on safety
standards, certification and aviation security, areas in which Canadian
requirements and procedures have been significantly improved in recent years.
They also agreed to less restrictive route rights for both passenger and all-cargo services, coupled with more flexibility for CSA to serve intermediate
points.
In April 1996, CSA plans to increase its weekly flights to Toronto from two to
three, two of which will continue to serve Montreal.
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