Brussels, 18/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - In May, Tunisia will open talks with the European Union on an Open Sky air transport agreement, Tunisian media have reported, quoting Transport Minister Abdelkarim Harouni in a speech to the 47th meeting of the Airports Council International for Africa, ACI Africa, in Tunis, on 16-20 April. An initial round of talks planned for the end of February/start of March was cancelled because of the social unrest within the sector in Tunisia. Morocco has already signed an Open Sky-type agreement, which opens up its skies to competition, and its experience has been sought. The Tunisian press agency says that a meeting of experts was held at the start of April on the sidelines of the Marrakesh Air Show (6-7 April) to try to draw best advantage of Moroccan experience.
This is a significant challenge facing Tunisian airlines, as the so-called low-cost airlines, battle-hardened in total quality, productivity and competitiveness, will shamelessly and without mercy compete with them on their own ground, said an economic journal.
Harouni said that a detailed study has been prepared by Tunisian experts, working with regional and international experts and closely with North African and African counterparts. The same sources report that he went on to say that such a decision should not be purely political: it is the experts in this area who will be able to determine levels of viability and effectiveness of the Open Sky for the Tunisian economy - otherwise the whole project will collapse. (FB/transl.rt)