India, China sign MoU on air service

New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) Now designated airline of the country will fly to the US via China.

In an agreement signed between the two countries today after two days of talks, the designated airline of India were allowed to operate beyond China to San Francisco with full 5th freedom traffic rights.

The Chinese side will be allowed to nominate a beyond point in India with full 5th freedom traffic rights, at their discretion at a later date.

The designated airline of each country will be entitled to exercise such rights on not more than 14 frequencies to all the beyond points put together, an official statement said.

The two sides decided that their designated airline will be entitled to operate to any three beyond points with not more than two points in one region.

However, the intermediate points and beyond points, and the exercise of traffic rights to and from these points will be agreed upon by the aeronautical authorities of the two countries.

The Indian delegation specified USA and Canada as one region, Australia and New Zealand as the second region and Asia as the third region for the three beyond times for the Indian carriers to operate the agreed services.

For China, Africa is one region, West Asia (including Gulf Area) is a second region and Europe the third for the three beyond points for operations of its carriers.

The Chinese delegation has forwarded to the Indian side the complete set of documents regarding the operation of the Great Wall Airlines from Shanghai to Mumbai and Chennai.

The Indian side will forward the documents to the authorities concerned for appropriate action.

UNI YJ MP RN1817