CANADIAN AIRLINES HAS been awarded two-thirds of the 24 free airport-slots open to Canadian airlines as part of the bilateral air agreement signed recently with the USA. Air Canada has been allocated the remainder.
Canadian will serve six of ten free slots at Chicago O'Hare and ten of 14 slots at New York La Guardia. The Government says that Canadian was given relatively favourable treatment because Air Canada has slots at both airports.
The Government has also designated Canadian as the sole national carrier to serve Malaysia, Vietnam and Philippines. The approval is effective immediately.
At the same time, transport minister Douglas Young announced, that he will designate second carriers on all international routes, with at least 300,000 scheduled passengers a year. The move clears Air Canada finally to gain the right to serve Hong Kong, while Canadian will be able to fly to Frankfurt.
Canadian Airlines President Kevin Jenkins says that, to serve the new routes, his airline will lease two McDonnell Douglas DC-10s and is in negotiations to acquire a fourth Boeing 747.
Source: Flight International
