__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday, September 30, 2013

■ SINGAPORE: Singapore signs Open Skies treaties with Tanzania, Sierra Leone.

Singapore has  announced the signing of Open Skies Treaties with Sierra Leone and Tanzania respectively on the sidelines of the ongoing 38th session of the General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) being held in the Canadian city of Montreal from 24 September to 30 September.

Tanzania & Singapore signing the Open Skies
Treaty (Tanzanian Government)
The agreements were signed by Lui Tuck Yew, Singapore's Minister for Transport, Sierra Leone's Transport & Aviation Minister, Leonard Balogun Koroma, and Tanzania's Minister for Transport, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe.

Under each of the agreements, designated airlines will be able to fly between Singapore and the other country, as well as via and beyond to any third country, without restrictions in capacity, frequency or aircraft type.

On the agreements, Mr Lui said: 
The agreements reflect the warm ties Singapore enjoys with Sierra Leone and Tanzania. They underscore Singapore’s commitment to establishing a liberal air services framework in Singapore and internationally, so that carriers are able to freely respond to market demand and when opportunities arise, to better serve the travelling public and the needs of industry.
The treaty signed with Tanzania follows an agreement between President Kikwete and his Singaporean counterpart after an official visit in June and is expected to foster new economic, social, tourism and business opportunities between the two countries.

With these new agreements, Singapore now has Air Services Agreements with more than 120 countries, of which more than 50 are Open Skies Agreements.