U.S., Indonesia liberalize aviation markets

U.S., Indonesia liberalize aviation markets    The United States and Indonesia have agreed to open up their respective aviation markets to allow airlines more commercial freedom to operate.
   U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and Indonesian Minister of Transportation and Communications Soenarno signed an open-skies agreement Monday that eliminates restrictions on how often air carriers can fly, the kind of aircraft they can use, the prices they can charge and other countries they can serve on a route.
   The United States continues to sign bilateral aviation trade agreements even as it continues to pursue regional agreements to further open markets.
   In an effort to help Indonesia take advantage of the growth opportunities afforded by the new treaty, Mineta reported more three grants from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency totaling more than $1.1 million to upgrade the air traffic control systems, passenger reservation system and to fund security and safety assessments at four Indonesian airports.
   The signing ceremony was held prior to the opening of the fourth annual transportation ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation council, in Bali.