ALEXANDER CAMPBELL & JUSTIN WASTNAGE / LONDON
Meanwhile, Brussels tells EU states to call time on US bilaterals or face court action
American Airlines and British Airways have tried again to link their operations by applying for approval from the US Department of Transportation (DoT) to codeshare on services beyond their US and UK gateways.
Their last attempt to cement a much sider transatlantic partnership was scuppered by the DoT this year when approval depended on the airlines giving up over 200 weekly slots at Heathrow and the sealing of an open skies deal between the UK and USA (Flight International, 5-11 February).
The airlines hope to codeshare on American's flights in the Caribbean, Latin America, Mexico and the USA beyond BA's current US destinations, and also on BA flights from American's UK gateways to African, Asian and European destinations. The application does not include codesharing on services between London and the USA, which is not allowed under the UK-US bilateral.
Although the DoT has so far been non-committal on the airlines' latest application, there is no sign that the department has weakened on the issues of slots or open skies.
Airlines in the UK are now voicing clear opposition to an open- skies deal. Speaking at the Institute of Economic Affairs air transport conference in London last week, Steve Ridgway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, called for "true open skies - not the corrupted forms in place [through] self-serving US deals". BA chief executive Rod Eddington agreed, saying that "US open skies [agreements] are not a sound basis for opening up the global industry" and told the UK government to "negotiate an open and balanced Atlantic aviation area, and abandon efforts using the basis of the flawed open skies structure".
The calls came as the European Commission (EC) last week instructed all 14 European Union member states with open skies bilateral agreements with the USA to invoke the notice period on the deals ahead of the creation of a Transatlantic Common Aviation Area. The open skies deals of eight countries were deemed illegal by the European Court of Justice in November. The EC is asking the countries' authorities to cancel their agreements "voluntarily" now, rather than force it to go to court.
Most bilaterals have a 12-month notice period. The EC says negotiating a pan-European open skies deal with the USA next year requires a definite end date to the deals.
Source: Flight International
