Editorial: Las Vegas to London causes stir

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999 | 9:55 a.m.

Las Vegas, whose lifeblood is tourism, has pushed for new aviation treaties that would make it easier for direct flights between here and major international cities. Many treaties limit which carriers can fly directly into these foreign airports, often precluding all but the largest airlines and biggest U.S. cities from entry. One of those nations that has such a restriction is Britain, which for years has blocked direct flights from London to Las Vegas.

There were negotiations between the United States and Britain to reach a new aviation treaty and liberalize landing rights, but discussions broke off in July, because British aviation officials couldn't agree on the number of landing slots they would relinquish to American carriers in London. Despite this breakdown, it was encouraging to learn last month that Las Vegas probably will get a direct flight to London's Gatwick International Airport after all. Virgin Atlantic Airlines won tentative approval to fly from London to Las Vegas, because British Airways abandoned its flights between London and Pittsburgh, creating a vacancy that was awarded to Virgin Atlantic.

But as the Sun's Richard Velotta reported Friday, that announcement isn't sitting well with Rep. Bud Shuster, R-Pa. Shuster wants Pittsburgh-based US Airways to pick up the route, but the current treaty won't allow it. So Shuster has introduced legislation that could prevent all flights to Britain from the United States -- including a Las Vegas-London connection -- unless Britain signs an "open skies" agreement by Dec. 31, 2000, allowing any airline access to British airports. Many observers don't give this radical legislation much chance of passage, but it certainly is easy to understand why Shuster is upset.

This anti-competitive treaty should be discarded. Britain should take notice that it is time for it to start negotiating in good faith and reach a genuine "open skies" accord with the United States. Liberalizing these treaties would result in more flights and lower fares, a benefit for all international air travelers.