U.S. Signs Open Skies Aviation Agreement with Gabon

The United States is pleased to announce the signing of an Open Skies air transport agreement with Gabon.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage and Gabonese Minister of State for Transportation and Civil Aviation Paulette Missambo signed the agreement on May 26, 2004 during a ceremony held at the Department of State Treaty Room in Washington, DC.

This agreement modernizes U.S.-Gabonese aviation relations by allowing airlines to make commercial decisions with minimal government intervention. It provides for open routes, capacity, frequencies, designations, and pricing, as well as opportunities for cooperative marketing arrangements, including code-sharing. It also includes all-cargo seventh freedom rights, allowing airlines to perform international cargo operations with no connection to their homeland.

Establishing Open Skies as the basis of U.S.-Gabonese aviation relations is an important step toward spurring trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges between the two nations.

With this signing, Gabon becomes the 62^nd bilateral U.S. Open Skies partner, and the 13^th partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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