Wed "The Australian"
SIA calls for 'level playing field' here
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
November 17, 2004
CONSUMERS and the tourism industry would be the big beneficiaries of moves to open up routes between Australia and US to more competition, Singapore Airlines said yesterday.
Responding to news Australia was prepared to reopen talks on further liberalising its aviation agreement with Singapore, SIA called for a level playing field that would give it the same opportunities to operate beyond Australia that Qantas enjoyed from Singapore.
"Consumers and the tourism industry will be the winners from such a policy," SIA public affairs senior manager Stephen Forshaw said.
"Opening the Australia-US route would provide real consumer benefits and support tourism growth from the US to Australia."
Transport Minister John Anderson revealed at the weekend that he expected to hold fresh talks with the Singapore Government over the next few months.
The issue was left hanging when the two nations signed a free trade agreement in 2003 and Mr Anderson had said previously he was not prepared to consider giving SIA access to the US routes until the global aviation outlook had stabilised.
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