Sri Lanka, Japan agree to add Tokyo Airport to Open Skies Agreement

Sri Lanka and Japan have agreed to add Tokyo’s Narita International Airport to the Open Skies Agreement between the two countries, Japan Times reported.

According to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism the addition of Narita airport is to take effect in summer of 2013.

The agreement will allow both countries to operate unlimited service between Tokyo Narita and Sri Lanka from 2013, when Narita’s annual slots increase to 270,000 and remove the restrictions on codeshare service. The deal has made Sri Lanka the 15th economy with which Japan has agreed to add Narita to such an accord.  Open Skies Agreements allow the signatory countries to liberalise civil aviation regulations and the airlines of both states to launch commercial flights and open new routes between them without being curbed by regulations.