THE Philippines and Iceland have signed their first-ever air services agreement, granting airlines of both countries up to seven flights per week and opening a new aviation market for Manila in the Nordic region.
The initial Air Services Agreement (ASA) was concluded following the Philippines-Iceland air negotiation talks held on August 18 to 19 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Under the deal, carriers from both countries are entitled to seven passenger and cargo flights weekly-or one flight per day-giving them flexibility to establish and develop services based on demand and commercial viability, whether through direct or connecting flights.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Edgar Badajos signed the agreement for the Philippines, while Sigríður Eysteinsdóttir, director and chief negotiator for air services agreements of Iceland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, signed for Reykjavik.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez, who led the Philippine delegation, said the accord lays the groundwork for the two countries’ aviation relationship.
‘This agreement will serve as the foundation for our future air transportation relationship and will provide our airlines with a framework to explore new opportunities for connectivity between our two countries and, ultimately, between our respective regions,’ Lopez said. ‘Today, we are not simply concluding our first air negotiations. We are opening a new chapter in Philippine-Iceland relations in the field of civil aviation.’
Eysteinsdóttir, who headed the Icelandic delegation, welcomed the outcome of the talks.
‘We are very pleased with what we have achieved together. Our discussions have helped us to better understand each other’s priorities and find a way forward,’ she said.
The agreement is expected to boost tourism, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, and forms part of the government’s broader push to expand international air connectivity and open new aviation markets.
Lopez said the DOTr will continue coordinating with its Icelandic counterpart and other aviation stakeholders to ensure the agreement’s effective implementation and the eventual expansion of air services between the two countries.
‘May this agreement serve as the beginning of a long and productive partnership, one that will create opportunities for our airlines, benefit our traveling public, and bring our peoples closer together,’ Lopez said.