New Zealand, Philippines Near Airline Services Agreement
allheadlinenews.com
A key feature of the agreement includes rights to begin Auckland-Manila passenger flights.
Manila, Philippines - The governments of the Philippines and New Zealand have started talks for an air services agreement, granting reciprocal rights for airline carriers to operate both passenger and cargo flights at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Angeles, Pampanga, north of the capital Manila.
A key feature of the agreement includes rights to begin Auckland-Manila passenger flights.
Initial talks held earlier this month at the New Zealand Ministry of Transport in Wellington, New Zealand made considerable progress between the negotiators, according to Filipino Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin, who led Manila's delegation.
However the negotiations encountered deadlock on third-country code sharing. Civil Aeronautics Board Deputy Executive Director Porvenier Porciuncula said, "The Philippines has no problem with code sharing, as long as it is bilateral. We don't want third-country rights thrown in."
The second round of talks is expected to be held in December this year to conclude the agreement.
