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The general manager of Air France-KLM has looked forward to the imminent launch of the EU-US open skies plan, saying that it will benefit both passengers and airlines.

Open skies is set to come into effect on 30 March and will remove a number of the constraints that have previously limited the services that transatlantic carriers can offer.

Christine Ourmieres of Air France-KLM told BBC Radio 5 Live that the development will boost competition, potentially leading to lower prices, and also offer customers a wider range of services to choose from.

Air France is set to launch a new route from Heathrow to Los Angeles, while its partners Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines will offer new services from Heathrow to destinations including Seattle, Atlanta and New York.

Ms Ourmieres said: 'Heathrow is the most important airport in the world in terms of volume of traffic between Europe and the US, so having this fortress now where we can fly from is a fantastic opportunity for us.'

While the open skies agreement will allow European carriers to compete with UK airlines from Heathrow, operators such as British Airways will also be able to compete with European companies by launching new connections from the continent.

Ms Ourmieres described this liberalisation as 'very good for the customer and for the industry'.

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