Mineta signs U.S.-India open skies agreement

Mineta signs U.S.-India open skies agreement    U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta officially signed the U.S.-India open skies agreement in New Delhi Thursday.
   “This agreement will stimulate new passenger and cargo services, new partnerships, innovation, and lower prices — to the benefit of our countries, our economies, our businesses, and our citizens,” Mineta said in a statement.
   The agreement has already increased air services between the countries. According to the U.S. Transportation Department, Delta Air Lines has announced a new daily service between New York and Chennai and Northwest Airlines plans new flights between Minneapolis and Bangalore. More recently, Continental Airlines announced a new flight between Newark, N.J. and New Delhi that will be the first regularly scheduled nonstop flight between the United States and India.
   The new U.S.-India open skies agreement replaces a 1956 agreement between the countries that placed restrictions on services between the two countries, including limits on cities that could be served and restrictions on pricing.