AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN MALTA AND THE UNITED STATES

Regular air transport services between Malta and the USA have become a distinct possibility today after the Minister for Transport and Communications Censu Galea signed on behalf of the Maltese Government an Air Transport Agreement regulating air services between Malta and the United States.

Mr Rodney E. Slater signed the Agreement on behalf of the Government of the United States.

The conclusion of this agreement could only take place as a result of the favourable USA Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) assessment given last year to the Maltese aeronautical authorities in recognition of their improved capability to oversee the operational safety of Maltese air carriers and to the high security standards at the Malta International Airport. This resulted in our Department of Civil Aviation being upgraded from Category 3 to Category 1 Status.

This agreement will go a long way towards facilitating the provision of air services between the two countries, and represents a departure from earlier type of bilateral air services agreements which, as a rule, tended to be of a restrictive nature and tended to hinder market development.

Scheduled air services between Malta and New York via Shannon (Ireland) have already been carried out during this summer by Air Malta, but under an ad-hoc approval by the US Authorities. Now Maltese and US airlines shall be entitled to perform international air transportation not only between the two countries, but also through third countries according to market demand. In addition, the travelling public could also avail itself of flying from Malta to the USA via points in Europe under a code sharing arrangement.

This Agreement is expected to facilitate the growth of air traffic, particularly in the tourist sector, from the US to Malta. Air services operated under this agreement should also prove convenient to the Maltese ethnic community living in the United States, as well as strengthen the concept of developing Malta as a hub for international air transport.

The conclusion and signing of today's Agreement was to a great extent facilitated by the valuable assistance of and the interest shown by Her Excellency the USA Ambassador to Malta Mrs Kathryn L. Proffitt and her staff.

Mr Anthony Pavia, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Transport and Communications accompanied Minister Censu Galea during his visit to Washington.