Office of Hon Mark Gosche
Minister of Transport
Minister of Housing
Minister of Pacific Island Affairs
Member of Parliament for Maungakiekie

Media Release

21 January 2000

OPEN SKIES AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE COOK ISLANDS

Expanded competitive opportunities for airlines to provide services between and beyond New Zealand and the Cook Islands have been created by a new open skies air services agreement between the two countries, the Ministers of Transport and Foreign Affairs and Trade announced today.

The new agreement, which was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Phil Goff, in Rarotonga recently, replaces an earlier 1986 agreement.

The agreement provides for an open route schedule, open capacity, multiple airline designation, confirmation of third-country code-sharing, flexible tariff arrangements and liberal airline investment provisions.
Transport Minister Mark Gosche said that the new agreement, the first open skies agreement which New Zealand has signed with a Pacific Island partner, provides for the possible development of new routes and/or new operators according to commercial demand.
Mr Gosche said that the agreement complements other open skies agreements which have been signed over the past two years with partners in the Americas and Asia as well as liberalised agreements with Tonga and Samoa in the Pacific.
“This new agreement represents an important further development of the air services relationship and is an appropriate recognition of the close and long-standing ties between New Zealand and the Cook Islands”, Mr Goff said.

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