Flying Higher: The Second Stage of the EU-US Open Skies Agreement

Timothy Lynes and Sean Gordon, both from the firm's Aviation Practice, authored an article in Airfinance Journal Guide to Aviation Lawyers on the EU-US Open Skies Agreement. The article briefly recaps the first stage of negotiations and contextualizes the agreement within the wider trend toward liberalization, highlighting some advancements it has already enabled in the global aviation industry. The article examines the five key points on the agenda for the second stage of negotiations, which will determine any further liberalization of air travel between the two continents, and discusses the implications of the success or failure of these talks. It addresses significant concerns from the EU and United States that threaten the agreement's passage and discusses the keys to compromise between the two sides. The article also touches upon discontent with the Open Skies model and the call for a truly global liberalization of the skies. ("Flying Higher: The Second Stage of the EU-US Open Skies Agreement," July 2008)