OPEN SKIES

Evening Star, Issue 25716, 13 February 1946, Page 5

OPEN SKIES

ANGLO-AMERICAN AGREEMENT AIR TRANSPORT AND TRAVEL AT ECONOMIC RATES i BERMUDA, February 11. Britain and the United States have, announced the completion of an aviation agreement to open their skies < to the commerce of the two countries, says the Associated Press correspondent. A joint Press statement outlining the terms said the deliberate trend of these principles is to encourage > the use of air transport and also to stimulate air travel at economic rates. The following is a summary of the agreement : 1. It permits the air lines of both countries to pick up passengers destined for a third country (the so-called Fifth Freedom, which makes it possible to keen aircraft loaded to a profitable level along the entire route). 2. It establishes the rate, and the determination of the policy, with intergovernmental action, to avoid ratewars and (profiteering, 8. It outlines the world pattern routes which each country will fly over the other's territory. 4. It provides a system of regular consultation on all civil and air problems between Britain and the United States. This step is described by both sides as the chief feature emerging from the conference. 5. ,It arranges that the provisional international aviation conference at Montreal shall be asked to give an advisory opinion when a dispute cannot be settled through bi-lateral consultations, The 1937 British-American air agreement also remains in force providing for two round trips weekly between Britain and the United States. The agreement does not fix a time limit, but it may be terminated by one year's notice. The termination, however,

would not affect United States air lines traffic rights at leased military bases. The agreement also opens military air bases to , civil use contingent on satisfactory agreements with Newfoundland and Canada. The American air bases at Bermuda, Antigua, Santa Lucia, and British Guiana would be opened for regular civilian use. The American air bases at Trinidad and Jamaica may be used as bad-weather alternatives. Some details of the bases agreement remain unsettled, but the principles have been agreed upon, FIFTH FREEDOM. The ' New York Times ' correspondent says the only restrictive measure is the provision-for a final Governmental review of rates. _On the other hand, there is no provision for restriction on the amount of the service .which one country may offer in the other's territory, Both sides agreed to an unexpectedly liberal application of the fifth freedom. The chief of the British delegation, Sir Henry Self, and the chief of the American delegation, Mr G. P, Baker, declared that the agreement constitutes a model on which the rest of the world may well base the settlement of other complicated air and commerce relationships. The agreement lists seven routes for British air lines and 13 for American. The British routes include terminals at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Miami West, Palm Beach, New Orleans, and San Francisco.