Japan requires antitrust immunity to complete US-Japan open skies agreement

Japan Civil Aviation Bureau Deputy Director General, Keiji Takiguchi, stated Japan would not sign an open skies agreement with the US in 2010 unless the US grants antitrust immunity for All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines and their respective US partners (Bloomberg, 15-Dec-2009). Mr Takiguchi outlined the conditions in an 11-Dec-2009 letter to the US State Department. Applications for antitrust immunity will be filed with the US Department of Transportation by mid-Feb-2010. Japan's Transport Ministry expects the US Government to rule on two expected airline antitrust applications by Oct-2010 (Dow Jones, 14-Dec-2009).