Canada to ease airline joint-venture and ownership rules, bolster passenger rights

The Canadian government unveiled new rules that could help carriers form joint ventures and attract foreign investment, while bolstering passenger rights Tuesday. Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he would consider approving joint ventures that allow two or more carriers to coordinate items like scheduling and pricing on certain routes, and confirmed plans announced last November to relax international ownership restrictions on Canadian air carriers, lifting investment limits to 49 from 25%. Canada aims to have the rules in place by 2018. Air Canada said in a statement the rules would improve its access to "international investors and global capital markets," while the joint venture changes could open new markets "and accelerate projects that are currently under consideration." Air Canada has recently said it is on track to complete a joint venture with Air China. The regulatory change would give Garneau a say in the approval of airline joint ventures which are now only subject to review under the Competition Act. The change, which would take the public good into consideration, increases the odds of joint ventures being approved, RBC analyst Walter Spracklin wrote in a note. "This should be a positive for both (airlines) as they seek to grow and expand their respective networks into new markets," he wrote.<br/>