‘No EU-US open skies for two years’ – BA chief
No transatlantic open skies air services agreement is likely for at least two years, according to British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh.
Interviewed by The Times on Saturday, Walsh said any hopes of reaching full open competition between US and European airlines on the North Atlantic had been dashed by the inability of the US to agree new ownership rules for ts own carriers.
Walsh reportedly said: “I’m disappointed with the pace of change. It’s an awful lot slower than even I thought. I don’t think we will see much chnage in the next couple of years.”
He held out no hope of progress at the next round of talks between European Union and US transport officials next month.
“I don’t see any progress happening at the October meeting,” he said. “It’s very much in the hands of the US government. But this issue has to be tackled. We need cross-border consolidation. The issue of ownership and control has to be tackled at some stage.”
Phil Davies
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