U.S./CAPE VERDE OPEN-SKIES AGREEMENT BENEFITS AIR CARGO

U.S./CAPE VERDE OPEN-SKIES AGREEMENT BENEFITS AIR CARGO    The U.S. and Cape Verde governments have initiated an open-skies agreement that when completed will provide significant benefits to air-cargo carriers and shippers.
   “The U.S.-Cape Verde agreement offers U.S. scheduled and charter cargo carriers special benefits that extend aviation liberalization even beyond the standard open-skies provisions by permitting U.S. airlines to fly cargo between Cape Verde and third countries without also serving the United States,” the U.S. Transportation Department said. “The same benefits are available to Cape Verdean carriers for cargo services beyond the United States.”
   Open-skies agreements eliminate restrictions on how often carriers can fly, the type of planes they use, and the prices they charge. The U.S.-Cape Verde agreement covers both cargo and passenger services. The U.S.-Cape Verde agreement is the sixth reached so far by the Bush administration, following Poland, France, Oman, Sri Lanka and Uganda, and is the U.S. government’s 58th open-skies agreement.