Canada considering cabotage

[lead zeppelin]

CANADA

Ottawa Considers Proposing U.S. Cabotage

The Canadian Press (CP) reports that Canada's new transport minister wants to revisit open skies with the U.S. and is considering proposing reciprocal domestic cabotage.

Transport Minister Jean Lapierre reportedly plans to table a discussion paper on the matter to the House of Commons next week. And responding to concerns that cabotage would leave airlines operating only the most profitable routes, Lapierre suggested that the federal government could subsidize underperforming routes.

"You can subsidize the routes and then have competition between carriers wanting to serve that route," Lapierre told CP.

Of course, since If the U.S. government already has been debating for years the safety of Canada's cheaper drug supply for American importation, it remains to be seen whether allowing Canadian airlines and their Canadian crew fly Americans around the U.S. on Canadian-registered aircraft would prove to be politically palpable in the U.S. Any move also would be subject to public debate in Canada.

[Airbubba]

>>...it remains to be seen whether allowing Canadian airlines and their Canadian crew fly Americans around the U.S. on Canadian-registered aircraft would prove to be politically palpable in the U.S. <<

Gee, with thousands of U.S. pilots on the streets I'm sure that would be no problem <g>.

[hobie]

Cabotage ..... a U.S. definition .....

http://www.dot.gov/ost/ogc/subject/faqs/international/airlineCabotage.html

[lead zeppelin]

Air Bubba, the same could be said for Canada, with Air Canada trying to recover from bankruptcy protection.

I don't think Canada's relatively small airline industry (compared to the US) poses much of a threat to the US industry.

I do agree that even one or two flights would be politically bad, given all the other outsourcing industries.

[wrenchbender]

This Transport Minister is a freakin idiot. He has held the office for a few months, yet he has made several comments leading us to believe that he hates Air Canada.

[Rollingthunder]

"The Honourable Jean-C. Lapierre
Minister of Transport

Outremont (Quebec)

Jean Lapierre was first elected to the House of Commons from 1979 to 1990, and was re-elected in 2004. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to a number of ministers and was Minister of State for Youth and for Fitness and Amateur Sport. In Opposition, he was critic for foreign trade, economic development and constitutional affairs.

Originally from the Magdalen Islands, Jean Lapierre studied law at the University of Ottawa and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1979.

While still at university, Mr. Lapierre began his political career. Between 1974 and 1979, he was special assistant to the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and executive assistant to the Minister of State for Urban Affairs.

In 1992, Mr. Lapierre became a radio host with CKAC, a position he held until recently. In 2001, he also became an anchor for the main news program of the TQS television network. He has a spouse and two children."


Another lawyer/politician/radio-televisiion host who thinks he understands business or aviation.
An absolute idiot trying to make a name for himself, probably encouraged by Martin.

You folks in the UK won't mind AA operating LHR-MAN-LHR or LHR-CDG-LHR and you folks in France won't mind JAL operating CDG-FRA-CDG and you folks in Japan won't mind BA operating NRT-NGO-NRT, etc etc.

The indusrty here is still in crisis mode so let's reduce the possibility of sustainable profit even further.