US, Vietnam reach Open Skies agreement on air-cargo routes

The United States and Vietnam have agreed to lift restrictions on air-cargo routes between the two countries.

The aviation agreement between the United States and Vietnam – former enemies who turned trade partners – was initiated on October 7, 2008, after two days of negotiations in Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam, between a Vietnamese delegation led by Lai Xuan Thanh, deputy director-general of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, and a United States delegation led by the State Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs.

The United States delegation also included officials from the US Department of Transportation and the US Department of Commerce.

According to the United States Department of Transportation, the United States-Vietnam aviation agreement allows for an unlimited number of all-cargo carriers to operate between the two countries, with no limit on the number of flights. The pact will remove restrictions on routing and on carrying cargo to or from third countries.

The agreement also allows United States-based airlines to carry cargo between Vietnam and third countries without requiring a stop in the United States.

The delegations of the two countries agreed to meet by October 2010 to hold talks on further liberalisation of the agreement, including additional rights for passenger services.

The United States embassy in Vietnam said in a press release: “The Open Skies pact for all-freight services, yet to be formally signed, removes restrictions on carrying cargo to or from third countries. The agreement will strengthen and expand our already strong trade and tourism links with Vietnam and provide benefits to cargo carriers and to shippers of both United States and Vietnam while preserving our commitments to aviation safety and security. Cargo carriers of both the United States and Vietnam will enjoy the benefits of liberalisation on the basis of reciprocity, pending the formal signing of the agreement.”

Already, the United States has reached Open Skies agreements with 93 partners. The agreement with Vietnam is built on the Air Transport Agreement reached in 2003.

The United States Department of Transportation also announced that the United States has reached Open Skies agreements with Laos and Armenia.