The first flights to depart under the Europe-USA open skies agreement successfully landed in London yesterday (March 30th).

A Continental Airlines service from New York to Heathrow Airport arrived in the capital yesterday morning, kicking off the start of an era that will bring more transatlantic flights to the UK and the rest of the European Union.

It is believed that the opening up of competition on routes between Europe and the USA will benefit consumers in the form of cheaper flights and improved choice.

"This marks the start of a new era in transatlantic aviation. This agreement will bring more competition and cheaper flights to the US," commented Jacques Barrot of the European commission.

A number of airlines have launched a range of new transatlantic routes to coincide with the open skies pact, including Delta Air Lines, US Airways and Northwest Airlines.

Some 50 million passengers currently travel between Europe and the USA every year.

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