09/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The Financial Times of Friday 9 March reports that Lufthansa backs the draft “open skies” agreement liberalising the transatlantic air market. Its Chief Executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber said the agreement was a “step in the right direction”, in that it would be good for customers even though the US had refused to lift its 25% limit on the shares foreign investors could hold in US carriers. With London's position thought to be hostile to the deal, the daily notes that the Special Transport Committee was due to meet on Tuesday to hear what the companies that fly out of Heathrow on transatlantic routes (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines and American Airlines) had to say. (aby)