Reykjavik: The Philippines and Iceland have signed their first Air Services Agreement (ASA), paving the way for seven weekly flights between the two countries for both passenger and cargo services. In a statement on Thursday, Acting Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agreement was signed following the successful Philippines-Iceland Air Negotiation Talks held from Tuesday to Wednesday in Reykjavik, Iceland.

According to Philippines News Agency, the agreement was signed by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Edgar Badajos and Sigr­°ur Eysteinsd³ttir, director and chief negotiator for ASA of Iceland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Lopez noted that the agreement will serve as the foundation for future air transportation relations between the two countries.

"It will provide our airlines with a framework to explore new opportunities for connectivity between our two countries and, ultimately, between our respective regions. Today, we are not simply concluding our first air negotiations. We are opening a new chapter in Philippine-Iceland relations in the field of civil aviation," Lopez said.

Under the agreement, the Philippines and Iceland will each have seven flights per week, or one flight daily, for passenger and cargo operations. The traffic rights will provide greater flexibility for airlines of both countries to establish and develop air services based on demand and commercial viability.

Lopez mentioned that the agreement is expected to create broader opportunities for air services linking the Philippines and Iceland, whether direct or through connecting flights, boosting tourism, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. Eysteinsd³ttir welcomed the agreement and thanked the members of both delegations for the constructive discussions.

"I would like to thank you all for the warm, friendly, and constructive spirit in which our discussions have taken place. We are very pleased with what we have achieved together. Our discussions have helped us to better understand each other's priorities and find a way forward," she said.

The agreement is part of the country's continuing efforts to expand international air connectivity and open new aviation markets, particularly in the Nordic region. Lopez also thanked DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Philippine Ambassador to Norway Enrico Fos for their support in advancing the long-planned bilateral air talks.

He led the Philippine delegation, which included officials from the DOTr, DFA, Department of Labor and Employment, Civil Aeronautics Board, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Philippine Embassy in Oslo, and the Honorary Consul of the Philippines to Iceland.