On April 10 th , the US Department of State and Grenada signed a new open skies air transport agreement. This agreement aims at firming up the civil aviation partnership between the two countries and extends economic and commercial ties. The deal is to allow unhindered reciprocal entry for cargo airlines and passenger airlines to fly between the two countries and beyond. The agreement also obligates the two governments to high standards of safety and security. Also, it would enable future travel and trade between the two countries. This agreement, therefore, replaces the older and more restrictive air agreement.
This agreement gives the two countries specific rights over each other. Firstly, there is the right to fly across each other’s territory without landing, the right to make stops for non-traffic purposes between the two. The airlines from the two countries can air transport between points behind their nations to any point in the two countries and also beyond. The same is applied for cargo services. However, this agreements ensure that no particular favors shall be created between the two countries concerning the laws, rules and regulations on admission and departure of the aircraft from the territories of the two.
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Moreover, the agreement creates more commercial opportunities for the two countries. Airlines from the two nations are given the right to open offices in each other’s territory, to promote and sell their air transportation. Besides, each airline shall be able to do its ground-handling in the other country and be permitted to pay for local expenses in freely convertible costs according to the rules of the country. However, each airline from the two nations should allow each other a fair and equal opportunity to compete in providing the international air transportation. Each party is entitled to control the frequency and capacity of air transportation it offers. The airlines, also, have the right to come up with their individual prices depending on the commercial consideration of the marketplace.
The skies agreement is, therefore, an essential tool for enhancing proper relations between countries. In this case, Grenada, which is a small Caribbean country, is given the opportunity to work efficiently in the air transport business with the US which is a superpower. They will be able to improve their economy through this agreement. Therefore this agreements uplifts the small countries into new levels. However, this agreement may seem to favor one state in one way, that is, the airlines from one country may be able to generate more revenue due to a broader market in their country than the other country. Furthermore, when the two countries at one time disagree in any sector or get into conflict, there is a high probability that the agreement will be broken and harsh terms are put in place, like in the case of the US and UK skies agreement.
In conclusion, therefore, these skies agreement should be improved in future, in the sense that it should be made more long-lasting and permanent in that unnecessary changes can’t be made due to differences between the two countries in other issues other than the air transport. Also, the skies agreement needs to be made more with the small countries, to allow small states to venture into international air business.
References
IV.D.6 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT AND PROTOCOL ON THE LIBERALIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION (MULTILATERAL “OPEN SKIES” AGREEMENT). (n.d.). International Law & World Order: Weston's & Carlson's Basic Documents . doi:10.1163/2211-4394_rwilwo_sim_032469
Tam, K. B. (n.d.). Worldwide developments in air transport. doi:10.5353/th_b3194559
U.S.-Grenada Open Skies Agreement. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/othr/ata/g/gj/280410.htm
