Henry

The governments of Jamaica and Brazil on Friday signed the first air services agreement, which will open the doors for direct flights between the two countries.

The agreement marks the beginning of better relations between the two countries and an increase in tourism and investment opportunities for Jamaica.

Jamaica commenced its air services negotiations with Brazil in November 2005, finalising an agreement text in August 2006.

Minister of Transport, Mike Henry, signed on behalf of the Jamaican government, while Cezar Amaral, ambassador of Brazil, signed for that country.

Mr. Henry was unable to confirm how soon flights would commence between the two countries and which airlines were on-board.

Looking out

He, however, noted that the Government has taken steps to ensure that the national carrier, Air Jamaica, is not left vulnerable despite increased competition.

"The Government has acknowledged the desire to take steps to protect the country's national carrier, even as we accept the liberalisation of air services in some respects," he said.

According to Ambassador Amaral, the agreement not only lays the foundation for increased travel between Jamaica and Brazil, but also has the potential to improve cultural exchange between the two nations.

Jamaica has had similar agreements with more than 17 countries, including Canada, the United States, Norway and Cuba.