New Zealand's recent air services negotiations

The New Zealand Ministry of Transport's Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2010 has just been tabled in Parliament and published. It includes a brief section on air services arrangements:

Air services: The Ministry continued working through the issues outstanding in air services negotiations with the European Union. However, given the differences between our respective positions on significant issues, it was difficult to reach a mutually acceptable position. Further negotiations were put on hold pending further developments on either side. 

Negotiations were also held with Papua New Guinea in March 2010 where an understanding was reached on liberalising some elements of the air services arrangements.

New Zealand–Japan air services agreement: An agreement was reached with Japan on amendments to the New Zealand–Japan air services agreement to permit the operation of Boeing B777-300 aircraft on the route.

Australia and Papua New Guinea expand airline capacity arrangements

On 3 June 2010 the Australian Minister for Infrastructure announced that air services negotiations between Papua New Guinea and Australia had reached an understanding to increase the passenger and cargo capacity able to be provided by the international airlines of the two countries for services between them.

Airline code-share approvals in Papua New Guinea

For some years Qantas has left operations to Papua New Guinea to its local partner Air Niugini. It is sometimes instructive to see how the regulatory authorities in other countries deal with applications from airlines seeking to cooperate.

Here are the 59-page, 18 December 2009 Determination of PNG's Independent Consumer & Competition Commission renewing approval of the Qantas/Air Niugini code-share arrangements and the 37-page, 11 November 2008 Determination approving the Pacific Blue Airlines (Aust)/Airlines PNG code-share arrangements.

On 1 July 2010 QantasLink commenced operations to Port Moresby from Cairns. This is the first international service for QantasLink.

Papua New Guinea signs first air services agreement with Malaysia

On 24 July 2009 Business Times from Malaysia reported that Papua New Guinea and Malaysia had signed an Air Services Agreement and related Memorandum of Understanding. There are no frequency limits.

Japan concludes new air services arrangements with Papua New Guinea

On 24 August 2009 Flight Global reported that Japan and Papua New Guinea had negotiated new air services arrangements. This included doubling capacity for airlines from Papua New Guinea to Narita (Tokyo) from one to two per week. The deal comes at a time when the extension of the second runway at Narita is about to be opened.

The article also notes that the Papua New Guinea government is subsidising the weekly Air Niugini flight to Tokyo.

Fiji and Papua New Guinea conclude new air services arrangements

Fijilive and The National have reported that on 9 September 2009 Fiji and Papua New Guinea signed a Memorandum of Understanding putting in place new air services arrangements that were negotiated last year.

I suspect that the reference in The National's article to "fleet freedom rights" may in fact be to fifth freedom rights at intermediate points.