Introduction

With the purpose of promoting open skies air services arrangements, the Multilateral Agreement was negotiated on 31 October - 2 November 2000 at Kona, Hawaii, and signed at Washington D.C. on 1 May 2001 by Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States of America.

The Agreement entered into force on 21 December 2001.

A Protocol to the Agreement was also negotiated and was signed at Washington D.C. on 1 May 2001 by Brunei Darussalam, New Zealand and Singapore. The Protocol provides for parties to exchange seventh freedom passenger and cabotage rights.

The Protocol entered into force on 21 December 2001.

The key features of the Multilateral Agreement are:

• an open route schedule;
• open traffic rights including seventh freedom cargo services;
• open capacity;
• airline investment provisions which focus on effective control and principal place of business, but protect against flag of convenience carriers;
• multiple airline designation;
• third-country code-sharing; and
• a minimal tariff filing regime.

The Agreement is open to accession by any state that is party to the following aviation security conventions: the Convention on Offences and Certain other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, done at Tokyo on 14 September 1963; the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, done at The Hague on 16 December 1970; the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation, done at Montreal on 23 September 1971; and the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation, done at Montreal on 24 February 1988.

This website is also used to give notice of:

A

• accessions to the Agreement
• designation of airlines
• any exercise of the right to withhold, revoke, suspend, limit or impose conditions on the operating authorisation of an airline
• non-application of the Agreement as between any parties
• amendments to the Agreement
• withdrawals from the Agreement.

B

• expressions of consent to be bound by the Protocol
• reservations with respect to the grant of cabotage rights
• non-application of the Protocol as between parties
• amendments to the Protocol
• withdrawals from the Protocol.

The New Zealand Government is the depositary state for the Agreement and Protocol.