New Open Skies Agreement Favors Vallarta
 PVNN
Puerto Vallarta - After several months of postponed meetings, "Open Skies", a bilateral agreement designed to eliminate restrictions on flights between Mexico and the US, is slated to be signed at the end of October.
Under the updated agreement, three airlines from each country may fly between any US city and any of 14 Mexican cities. This is a small step forward as the current agreement allows two airlines to operate on each US/Mexican city pair market. In the past, the US proposed that as many as six carriers would be allowed to fly on routes to Mexico.
Though according to some sources, the final deal was a disappointment to some US carriers, the new "open skies" agreement will favor tourist destinations in this country, including Puerto Vallarta, with the potential addition of new airlines. The new agreement will give a third airline the right to fly to 124 Mexican destinations, and other new carriers to service destinations like PV, which already welcomes more North American airlines than most other cities in Mexico.
Following the fusion of America West and USA Airways last September 27th, it is expected that this will create the largest low cost international airline in the world. According to Betty Fuentes, Manager of USA Airways (formerly America West) the expectation is an increase of flights to Puerto Vallarta starting next January. The arrival of more airlines of this type will not affect the corporation's operations, as it is currently handling practically all of the North American, Latin American, European and Caribbean market.
Although adding four new airlines foretells a boost to Puerto Vallarta tourism, there is still nothing definite. Though all of the airlines already have concessions, only Clic is contemplating this destination as part of its new routes, according to Puerto Vallarta Tourism Director José Ludwig Estrada Virgen.
Top 10 Mexican Cities for Air Travel Between Mexico and the US - May 2004 to April 2005
| Rank | City | Passengers | | 1 | Cancun | 3,239,625 | | 2 | Mexico City | 1,683,616 | | 3 | San Jose del Cabo | 891,433 | | 4 | Puerto Vallarta | 803,752 | | 5 | Guadalajara | 536,019 | | 6 | Monterrey | 379,412 | | 7 | Cozumel | 317,308 | | 8 | Mazatlan | 196,190 | | 9 | Leon-Guanajuato | 166,192 | | 10 | Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo | 117,638 | | Total | | 8,825,307 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics |
Vallarta Weddings
News from Around Banderas Bay | October 2005 
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