UAE, Canada end visa row

[Titanium]

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... 04f122.1d1

AFP

OTTAWA — The United Arab Emirates is nixing costly visa requirements imposed on Canadian travelers, officials said Tuesday, ending a row between the two countries that started in 2010 over aviation rights.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, agreed to "facilitate travel requirements to increase business, tourism and joint prosperity for our citizens by restoring the visa regime," said a statement.

"We will be working to formalize this in the next few months and the details will follow from (Zayed Al Nahyan)'s formal announcement that we return to the previous visa regime that pre-existed the challenging time in our relationship," Baird told a teleconference from Abu Dhabi.

Baird is on a tour of the Middle East.

The UAE in January 2011 started charging Canadians $1,000 for a six-month multiple entrance visa, while three-month and one-month visas cost 500 dollars and 250 dollars respectively.

The steep hikes in obtaining a visa for the UAE came as the two countries had been at odds over landing rights in Canada for UAE-based carriers and the closure of a UAE military base to Canadian use.

Canada was forced a few months earlier to close a military base in Dubai that was part of a key supply route to Afghanistan after refusing to grant the UAE's two national carriers more landing rights.

Baird was transport minister at the time, when more than 25,000 Canadians were living in the UAE and bilateral trade was valued at $1.5 billion annually, according to the UAE.

Since then, Iraq has become Canada's largest trading partner in the Middle East, Baird noted.

[Tanker]

Who won?

[Titanium]

Looks like the Canucks did. Doesn't seem like UAE has gotten its way unless something is hidden

I recall reading a while ago that the UAE wanted Emirates and Ethiad to be allowed daily flights to 3 or 4 Canadian cities. The article said there was no demand for it though.

[Tanker]

Why will Canada deny the UAE planes to land?

[Titanium]

The only obvious explanation to this would be that the local carriers told them not to allow any increased competition.

[Osob101]

Why will Canada deny the UAE planes to land?

It's more complicated than that. Canadian and UAE Bilaterial agreement stated that UAE airlines are allowed six landing slots a week in any point in Canada and Emirates Airlines said No, we want a daily flight and if not we will not fly to Canada. Comes Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi and takes 3 and Emirates not wanting to miss out says I'm we will take the other three. UAE government than asked for more landing slots and Canada denies them because most of the Passangers are originating from Canada and 90% are just on a transit in Dubai. Since Air Canada has an agreement with Lufthansa to code share and share profits on all transatlantic flights with them and transfer max through Frankfurt they would be at a loss. Canadian Policy also states that a country in order to have daily flights or open skies with Canada must show a substantial flow of traffic from both sides and can not be relied only on transit. They have also denied access to Singapore Airlines and Korean. The UAE becomes angry and imposes these rules and refuses Canadian military to refuel enroute from Afghanistan. Canada moves and now the UAE drops the Visa requirement and Canada still refuses more landing slots. Winner obviously Canada

[Osob101]

Quick note looking at the Bilaterial agreements of flights of Somalia, lets just say we are in a very good position of now. We will have to restrict the Gulf Carriers and people forget that these Airlines are state owned and get cheap fuel. They do not compete on a level playing field and must be restricted. Just at what they have done to Australia's Qantas or Airlines in India.

[Titanium]

Osob101,

If those Gulf carriers will bring cheaper airline ticket costs in Somalia, why not? Competition is key.

[Tanker]

Why will Canada deny the UAE planes to land?

It's more complicated than that. Canadian and UAE Bilaterial agreement stated that UAE airlines are allowed six landing slots a week in any point in Canada and Emirates Airlines said No, we want a daily flight and if not we will not fly to Canada. Comes Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi and takes 3 and Emirates not wanting to miss out says I'm we will take the other three. UAE government than asked for more landing slots and Canada denies them because most of the Passangers are originating from Canada and 90% are just on a transit in Dubai. Since Air Canada has an agreement with Lufthansa to code share and share profits on all transatlantic flights with them and transfer max through Frankfurt they would be at a loss. Canadian Policy also states that a country in order to have daily flights or open skies with Canada must show a substantial flow of traffic from both sides and can not be relied only on transit. They have also denied access to Singapore Airlines and Korean. The UAE becomes angry and imposes these rules and refuses Canadian military to refuel enroute from Afghanistan. Canada moves and now the UAE drops the Visa requirement and Canada still refuses more landing slots. Winner obviously Canada

Oh Okay

[Osob101]

Osob101,

If those Gulf carriers will bring cheaper airline ticket costs in Somalia, why not? Competition is key.

Competition is Key but you must not give up a valuable asset such as ur skies and transportation. If they want to be competitive than drop they need to privatize the airlines and let them compete on a the same level as others do. Take for Example Angola, after the Civil War now they have the money and are supporting their state owned airline but in order for their airline to catch up, they have restricted all airlines like Emirates, British, Lufthansa to a once landing in a week. Why? Because they first need to their airline the ability to compete or else they will end up with no national airlines and will be at the mercy of others. Ask yourself why the so Capitalist USA restricts ownership of their airlines to 25% by non Americans and let them go file for bankruptcy rather than be saved by foreign entity? Because its a national security and looking out for their own.

[Titanium]

Good points.

There has been rumors of Somali Airlines coming back soon. Is this true? And also, in regards to Turkish Airlines in Muqdisho, whose decision was it for them to fly only a few times a week? Was it their own decision or was it the government's decision?

[Osob101]

There is talk of Somali Airlines but that will not be happening anytime soon. We did talk to Air Arabia and Fly Dubai last week when the President was in town but the problem is landing in Xamar means a high premium insurance for the aircraft for any Airline. We did not have any Bilaterial agreements of flights with Turkey and ironically don't even have it still but they land twice a week in high season and once in low season. The decision came from the PM of Turkey for it to fly there since it transports a lot of Turks commuting to the city. One thing the Somali Government must do is actually restrict East African since it is a Kenyan own entity and carries Passangers within Somalia and onward which is called a Cabattoge in the Aviation world. Basically means a foreign Airline carrying Passangers within a country it is not registered in and no nation in the world allows that.

[Titanium]

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/638867- ... tumba.html

That article says Muqdisho airport receives over 40 flights per day. Is this over exaggerated? Are these mostly from Kenya? And that airport being built in Balcad, is that true or lies? Also last question, have they started the renovations at Aden Adde now? Thank you for answering the previous questions

[Osob101]

Most of those flights are UNDP flights and some are flying in with Government delegations. Since the UNDP office has moved to Mogadishu most of the flights are coming from a variety of places and not on,t Kenya. There will be an airport build but it's a long term plan and it is not in Balcad but Cisseley. Renvotations at the current airport have begun but going very slow and will get much easier once the ship carrying the cement making machines and other heavy equipment arrives from Turkey.

[Titanium]

thanks