India, New Zealand Move To Expand Air Services Accord

aircraft flying over new Delhi
Credit: imagebroker.com/Alamy Stock Photo

India and New Zealand have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand the air services accord agreed by the countries in 2016.

According to India’s Civil Aviation Ministry, the partnership signed Aug. 29 covers “the scheduling of new routes, codeshare services, traffic rights and capacity entitlement.”

The terms of the agreement call for designated Indian airlines to “operate any number of services with any type of aircraft ... to/from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and three more points in New Zealand to be named by the [Indian government],” the ministry says in a statement.

Similarly, designated airlines from New Zealand “may operate any number of services with any type of aircraft ... to/from six points in India, namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata,” according to the ministry.

Additionally, the MOU outlines expansive permissions to operate cargo flights.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, India’s civil aviation minister, says: “We have signed an MOU that has opened the possibilities of furthering air transport between our two countries.”

Aaron Karp

Aaron Karp is a Contributing Editor to the Aviation Week Network.