With the exception of the U.S.-E.U. Open Skies Agreement, is it legal/would it be permitted for a U.S. airline to fly between two points in a foreign nation/s?
For example, would a U.S. airline be permitted to fly between Toronto and London?; Dubai and London; Dubai and Tokyo? Would it be on a case-by-case basis, to be approved by the respective governments?
The concept you’re asking about is covered by the freedoms of the air, although it’s not clear if you’re asking about the 5th freedom or the 7th freedom. Both do happen, although they’re generally rather limited and require open skies or a bilateral agreement and mutual approval.
Yes. It’s called “5th Freedom Flgihts.”
The Convention on International Civil Aviation (also called the Chicago Convention) of 1944 granted several rights to nations for civil aviation.
1st Freedom: The right to fly over a nation without stopping (e.g. Vancouver to Mexico City)
2nd Freedom: The right to fly between two countries and stop in a third for technical reasons such as refueling (e.g. Vancouver to Mexico City with a stop in Denver for fuel)
3rd Freedom: The right to fly from an airline’s home country to another country (e.g. Air Canada can carry passengers and cargo from Vancouver to Denver)
4th Freedom: The right to fly from one country to the airline’s home country (e.g. Air Canada can carry passengers and cargo from Denver to Vancouver)
5th Freedom: The right to carry passengers between two countries as an extension of a flight from the airline’s home country to a second country. (e.g. Air Canada can carry passengers and cargo from Vancouver to Denver and carry passengers from Denver to Mexico City)
6th Freedom (unofficial freedom): It’s the right to carry passengers and cargo from one country to the airline’s home country and on to a third country. (e.g. Air Canada carrying passengers and cargo from Denver to Tokyo via Vancouver)
7th Freedom (unofficial freedom): It’s the right to carry passengers between two countries, neither of which are the airline’s home country (e.g. Air Canada operating a flight between Denver and Mexico City that doesn’t continue to or from Canada)
8th Freedom (unofficial freedom): Also known as true cabotage. This is the right to carry passengers between cities in a country that is not the airline’s home country. This is part of a flight that continues to or comes from the airline’s home country. (e.g. Air Canada operating a flight between Vancouver and Houston with a stop in Denver. Air Canada can carry cargo and passengers between Houston and Denver. The passengers flying between Houston and Denver do not have to being flying to or from Vancouver. A variation of this is the stopover. Using the same example, a passenger can fly from Houston to Denver, provided he eventually takes Air Canada to Vancouver)
9th Freedom (unofficial freedom): Also known as stand-alone cabotage. This is the right fly between two cities with a flight that does not continue on or comes from the airline’s home country. (e.g. Air Canada flying a flight between Houston and Denver that doesn’t go to or come from Canada)
As far as the fifth freedom is concerned, does it have to be a “continuation of another flight”? For instance; land, deboard, refuel, takeoff?
EDIT: But, hypothetically, wouldn’t Air Canada have to get approval from the U.S. government in order to fly scheduled service from Denver to Mexico City? Individual governmental regulations of their respective airline industries do not complicate such things?
Yes, that’s in the definition of 5th freedom.
Politics very much come into play with the freedoms. In most cases, bilateral treaties are made between individual countries indicating who can fly what and where.
Northwest (acquired by Delta) and United have 5th freedom rights in Japan. Northwest and Pan Am acquired these rights by being the first airlines to serve Japan after World War II. Since there were no Japanese airlines at the time, these rights were required to give Japan access to the region. United subsequently bought the rights from Pan Am in the 80’s.
I’m not aware of any other U.S. airlines currently holding 5th freedom rights in foreign countries.
FedEx and UPS hold 5th freedom rights.
Kalitta too.
Probably the most well-known were the Panam intra-German flights prior to the reunification. PA also had a few others, the infamous FRA-LHR for example. These passed to Delta for a while but I think they have all lapsed now.
United currently has a number in the far east ex-NRT and SIN.
I always wondered about this…
Most clear evenings, I’ll sit out on the deck after supper and watch for QFA 108, which flies KJFK/KLAX/YSSY. It’s amazing that you can spot (and hear the distinctive sound) of a 747 even at 38,000 feet.
So, if I understand the Wiki article correctly, Quantas can’t sell seats JKF-LAX?
Correct, QF cannot sell tickets on the JFK-LAX segment only.
But a passenger can fly locally between JFK and LAX provided his trip ends or begins in Australia. For example, he could fly to LAX from Sydney, spend 2 or 3 days in LA, and then board the aircraft for the LAX to JFK segment.
Correct, that’s called an International stopover.
Back when there weren’t many aircraft that could fly Asia-NYC nonstop virtually every Asian airline flew a LAX or SFO to JFK flight. They were all labeled in the OAG “Intl Cnxn or Stpover Only”.
Where on earth does Quantas find a supplier for Vegemite for the return leg?
You can buy Vegemite almost anywhere if you look hard enough.
Also, they probably just provision enough for the entire trip in Australia.
Read the following carefully!
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
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There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
There is no “U” in Qantas.
Forreal?
Forreal - no kiddin’, dude 
That’s okay my father makes up new words everyday.
Some of my favorites-
Costcos (when asked if I’d like to go to costcos with him I always reply- “do we have to go to all of them?”) AAAHHH that one makes me pull my hair out. it’s Costco not Costcos
Nordstroms- see above
Lowles- you know the home improvement store LOWES (he adds an extra L)
There is no “U” in Qantas
I KNEW I should have taken Australian in college instead of Spanish…
Or is that “Astralian”?