India and New Zealand signed MoU to enhance cooperation in the field of civil aviation

Tags: International News

India and New Zealand recently formalized a cooperative agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in the field of civil aviation.

An Overview of the News

• The MoU covers a wide scope of cooperation, focusing on key aspects such as the facilitation of new flight routes, the establishment of codeshare services, the allocation of traffic rights, and the determination of capacity entitlements.

• Eminent officials present: The signing ceremony took place in the capital of India, New Delhi with the presence of eminent officials from both countries. Civil Aviation Secretary Rajeev Bansal and New Zealand High Commissioner David Paine were the signatories to the MoU.

• The event was attended by key ministers including India's Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and New Zealand's Trade and Export Development Minister Damian O'Connor.

Major Provisions for Airlines

• The MoU outlines specific provisions to benefit New Zealand's airlines. New Zealand's designated airlines are permitted to operate an unrestricted number of services using any type of aircraft.

• New Zealand airlines have also been granted third and fourth freedom traffic rights for connectivity to six major Indian cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

• Indian airlines designated by the agreement are similarly provided with enhanced operational freedom. They have the authority to operate unlimited services with any type of aircraft.

• Additionally, Indian airlines have been granted third and fourth freedom traffic rights to travel to and from important New Zealand cities: Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. In addition, the Government of India will later designate three additional destinations in New Zealand for equal traffic rights.