UK has air services negotiations scheduled with Japan

The United Kingdom Forward Programme of Possible Bilateral Air Services Talks published by the Department for Transport has negotiations scheduled for September 2011 with Cuba, Egypt and Turkmenistan.

More interestingly it states that the UK has negotiations scheduled with Japan for 17-19 January 2012. With the recent talks with Canada (see previous post), Japan is clearly starting to work through a priority list of countries outside of East Asia (see previous post) as it implements its "open skies" policy.

Canada concludes new air transport arrangements with Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Morocco and Tunisia

In recent months Canada has announced new air services arrangements with:

• El Salvador (29 April 2010) - "open skies-type ..."
• Ethiopia (1 March 2010) - first agreement
• Tunisia (1 March 2010) - first agreement
• Morocco (9 February 2010) - expanded agreement
• Cuba (7 February 2010) - expanded agreement

UK negotiates expanded air services opportunities with Cuba on behalf of the Cayman Islands

On 7 April 2009 Caribbean Net News carried a report on the outcome of air services negotiations held between Cuba and the United Kingdom (and Overseas Territories). Representatives of the Cayman Islands participated as part of the UK delegation.

In New Zealand's case we do not negotiate air services arrangements on behalf of the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau, even though New Zealand has responsibility for their foreign affairs and defence. Although the Tokelau atolls have no airport we still include in New Zealand's air services agreements a specific exclusion of Tokelau.