Chengdu discount air tickets - According to reports, the American and Japanese governments hope to reach an agreement this week that will further open trans-Pacific air services. This is a crucial deal for American Airlines and also important for investors hoping to take advantage of closer cooperation between airlines.
Negotiators from both countries are expected to finalize the so-called "Open Skies" agreement as early as this Thursday. The negotiation aims to break the restrictions on routes flying to or from Tokyo. Currently, only a few airlines offer meaningful passenger and freight services.
An anonymous official from the Japanese government said that both sides have reached a "general understanding agreement" on the basic issues of the "Open Skies" agreement, but "troublesome" legal technical issues still exist. John Byerly, the chief U.S. negotiator for Japan negotiations and an official from the U.S. Department of State, also stated: "I think we are not far from reaching an agreement, and both parties have the willingness to cooperate."
The main focus of the negotiations between the two sides is the access issue of Tokyo's Narita Airport, where the take-off and landing rights are currently under government control. For many years, American government officials have been seeking to eliminate some obstacles that limit most American airlines' opportunities to provide direct services in the Japanese market. However, the U.S. side has made little progress on this issue.
However, the worsening financial condition of Japan Airlines, the expectation that Tokyo will become the gateway to the rapidly growing Asian market, and the potential opportunity for Japanese airlines to maximize their trans-Pacific flight revenue prompted both sides to start negotiations this year. Overall, airlines support the "Open Skies" agreement. Although this is largely true for Japan as well, the major airlines have varying levels of confidence in reaching an agreement.
For example, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines under UAL Corp, and FedEx Corp all operate businesses in Japan and, according to an agreement reached after the war, these companies are almost unrestricted.
Analysts pointed out that Japanese negotiators must clear technical obstacles, but most industry insiders expect that the "Open Skies" agreement reached this week will ultimately grant more passenger and freight flights to American airlines.