European airlines welcomed today a provisional deal between the United States and the EU to open transatlantic aviation markets, saying the pact showed progress towards EU desires to invest more in US carriers.
The Association of European Airlines (AEA), which represents carriers such as British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France KLM, said the draft agreement appeared to show US movement on European demands that European Union airlines have more opportunities to invest in US counterparts.
"Our initial reaction is that there seems to be a substantially improved balance in the wording of the agreement," AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus said in a statement.
The two sides have been working for years on a deal to open their aviation markets to more competition and to replace bilateral agreements between Washington and some EU nations with a broader pact that would include more countries.
But a tentative deal sealed in November 2005 has remained in limbo after Washington late last year withdrew a proposal that would have eased restrictions on foreign investment in US airlines.