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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