REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
VIRGIN BLUE U.S.-AUSTRALIA SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC
MARCH 31, 2008
1:30 PM
Thank you, Mayor Villaraigosa.
And thank you to Sir Richard Branson and Brett Godfrey for your inspirational
commitment to connecting the world through the air.
In less than two hours I will meet with Prime Minister Rudd to sign the historic
Open Skies Agreement that makes today’s announcement possible. It is an
agreement that is already paying dividends for travelers, and serving as an
important symbol of the growing ties between Australia and the United States.
Our two nations share a unique understanding of transportation’s ability to
bridge divides and build homelands, and today, we will better connect our
nations through the skies.
This deal may have been a long time in the making, but it will be even
longer-lasting in its benefits. Today’s announcement shows how agreements like
this can make a real difference for thousands of travelers almost overnight.
Any time you can generate ten new round trips from LAX to Australia, give
travelers more options and lower fares, and pump almost one-and-a-half billion
dollars into LA’s economy with the stroke of a pen, you’re doing something
right.
The United States and Australia share a language, a colonial history, and a
passion for democratic government. Now, because of this agreement, we also share
the skies.
With that, I would like to again thank Sir Richard Branson and Brett Godfrey for
their commitment to expanding U.S.-Australia air service, and thank Mayor
Villaraigosa for inviting me to participate today.
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