New Zealand has
signed a new air services agreement with Sri Lanka. Transport Minister
Gerry Brownlee said the agreement will enable airlines to offer flights
from New Zealand to Sri Lanka and then on to other destinations, with
tickets able to be sold for either or both sectors.
“Today’s
agreement with Sri Lanka is in addition to 14 new or amended air
services agreements recently approved by cabinet,” said Brownlee.
“These
agreements help provide New Zealanders with better access to the world,
making it easier to travel and do business internationally.”
The minister
signed today’s agreement extending “fifth freedom” rights alongside Sri
Lanka’s Minister of External Affairs, Gamini Lakshman Peiris.
Fourteen other
agreements approved by cabinet include new agreements with Finland,
Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Togo and Zambia.
“Finnair has
already applied to use the new agreement to offer code-share services
between Finland and New Zealand, as has Ethiopian Airlines under the new
agreement with Ethiopia,” Brownlee said.
The agreement,
along with an amendment to our agreement with South Africa, helped pave
the way for stronger links in Africa, he said. The amendment with South
Africa has doubled passenger capacity to 14 services a week and added
capacity for another seven freight services a week.
The agreement
with Saudi Arabia followed the new agreements announced in June last
year with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. These agreements
underpin the government’s Gulf trade strategy.
Amendments to agreements have also been made with Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden.
The agreement
with Hong Kong removed all remaining restrictions on non-stop services
between Hong Kong and New Zealand. A memorandum of understanding on
code-sharing was also reached with Mongolia.
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