BA chief advises EC on open skies negotiations

British Airways chief executive Rod Eddington has urged the European Commission to "keep its sights high" when open aviation area talks resume next week.

In a speech at the European Aviation Club in Brussels, Eddington said that he was encouraged by the progress made in the first two rounds of negotiations.

Talks planned for February 17-20 in Washington are the third round since the European Commission was given a mandate last year to negotiate on behalf of all EU member states.

Eddington also cautioned that the US' current proposal falls short of Europe's objective of achieving a truly liberal open aviation area, describing it as "essentially unbalanced".

The proposal, which provides unlimited 'fifth freedom' rights within the EU for all American passenger and cargo airlines, provides no access to the US domestic market for Europe's airlines.

'Fifth freedom' is the right to carry passengers between two countries by an airline of a third on a route with origin/destination in its home country.

Eddington argues that although the proposal removes operating restrictions between the EU and the US, it makes no progress towards achieving a truly liberalised market.

He said real progress could not be made until the US unlocked its refusal to consider access to its domestic market, agreed rights within the US for Europe's airlines and the removal of foreign ownership restrictions.

He said to sign up to a phased arrangement giving the US its negotiating objectives with a promise of turning to Europe's at a future date would be "naïve".

Under Bermuda II -- the revised US-British bilateral agreement of 1977, only two British carriers, currently BA and Virgin, and two American, AMR Corp's American Airlines and UAL Corp's United Airlines, are allowed to fly non-stop transatlantic routes to and from London Heathrow.