Leading Japanese and U.S. airlines Saturday welcomed a bilateral open skies accord reached by the two countries, saying it will enhance their competitive edge in the global aviation industry.
The nation's two leading air carriers, Japan Airlines Corp. and All Nippon Airways Co., said the accord would help them improve operations.
JAL President Haruka Nishimatsu said in a statement, "We will aim for providing better services for customers through managing air routes efficiently and establishing a strong network."
In a similar move, ANA President Shinichiro Ito also released a statement, saying, "We will take strategies that will improve the convenience of the users of our services such as increasing flights to American cities and selecting a U.S. partner as early as possible."
Delta also welcomed the accord, saying it will provide "benefits for consumers, airline employees and investors," and expressed hope it will enable Delta and JAL "to engage in deeper and more effective cooperation, producing greater benefits for the carriers and their customers."
American Airlines Senior Vice President Will Ris praised the newly struck deal, saying in a statement, "This open skies agreement will effectively reset the playing field and enable new working relationships."
The bilateral accord was reached in Washington late Friday. It is scheduled to take effect next October, fully liberalizing the two countries' civil aviation markets and enhancing trans-Pacific airline alliances.