U.S., FRANCE REACH OPEN-SKIES AGREEMENT

U.S., FRANCE REACH OPEN-SKIES AGREEMENT    The United States and France Friday agreed to an open-skies aviation relationship, marking the 55th U.S. open-skies bilateral agreement worldwide and the 19th in Europe.
   “Opening international aviation markets to competition and market forces is a key administration priority,” said Norman Y. Mineta, U.S. Transportation Secretary.
   Friday's agreement builds on the liberalized U.S.-France agreement that was signed in June 1998. While that agreement provided for the gradual elimination of restrictions on air services between the two countries, the new open-skies agreement also removes restrictions on service to intermediate and beyond countries.
   Open-skies agreements eliminate restrictions on how often carriers can fly, the kind of aircraft they can use and the prices they can charge, the DOT said. The agreement covers cargo and passenger services as well as scheduled and charter operations.