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Canada's Blue Sky Policy

On November 27, 2006, a new international air transportation policy called the Blue Sky Policy was announced by the Government of Canada to help further connect Canadians to each other and to the world. 

This new air policy is about moving people and goods with the goal of enhancing the prosperity of our country by creating opportunities and jobs in various sectors of the economy, including trade and tourism.

The Government of Canada's international air policy is encouraging the development of new markets, new services and greater competition. For travelers, this means more choices in terms of destinations, flights and routes.

To help Canada's air industry continue to make great contributions to our country's growth, Canada has developed a modernized policy for international air transportation. The Government of Canada consulted with stakeholders before finalizing the new international air policy. This policy reflects the evolving nature of the global aviation market.

Following the historic negotiation of the Canada-United States Open Skies agreement in 2005 (signed in 2007) and the implementation of the Blue Sky Policy in 2006, Canada has successfully negotiated new “first-time” or expanded air services agreements with: the 27 Member States of the European Union, Serbia, Croatia, Japan, Kuwait, Jordan, Iceland, New Zealand, Singapore, Mexico, Barbados, Panama, Philippines, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Turkey, South Korea, South Africa, Cuba, Morocco, Ethiopia, Tunisia and El Salvador. This translates into greater opportunities for Canadian businesses and travelers. When combined with our Open Skies agreement with the United States (negotiated in 2005, but signed in 2007), the overall percentage of our international air traffic covered by these agreements is almost 85%. In this context, Canada has achieved "open" agreements with a total of 35 countries representing 72% of our international air traffic.

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Date modified:
2012-04-20