Hong Kong concludes an air services agreement with Laos

On 9 September 2009 Hong Kong announced that it had signed an air services agreement with the Lao People's Democratic Republic. No details are given as to the features of the agreement but the statement notes Hong Kong's "policy of progressive liberalisation in air services between Hong Kong and our aviation partners." This is Hong Kong's sixtieth air services agreement (list).

Kuwait signs "open skies" agreements with Thailand and Brunei

On 22 February 2009 the Thai News Agency reported that Thailand had signed an "open skies" air services agreement with Kuwait.

On 14 April 2009 the Brunei Times reported that Brunei had signed an "open skies" air services agreement with Kuwait.

These moves follow the signing of "open skies" agreements between Kuwait and separately Singapore (see previous post), Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar last year (see 9 September 2008 report from Peanuts!).

The US concludes "open skies" agreements with Armenia, Laos and Vietnam

On 7 October 2008 the US Department of Transportation announced that the United States had concluded a new "open skies" agreement with Armenia, and "open skies" with Vietnam with respect to cargo-only air services. An "open skies" agreement with Laos was announced by DoT on 3 October 2008.

This brings to 94 the number of "open skies" relationships that the United States has reached. Note that ICAO has 190 Contracting States so the US is now just under half way through all the possible "open skies" relationships that it could have.