Skies to open for EU carriers

Any European carrier can fly to India from any European country.

The European Union and India are all set to negotiate a new bilateral agreement that will allow European carriers unrestricted access to India.

According to the proposed agreement, any European carrier can fly to India from any European country.

Under the present arrangement, only airlines from a particular country can operate services to India from that country. With the new arrangement in place, this restriction will go.

For example, British Airways, which can now operate a service to India from only cities in the UK, can also operate a service from any other European country, provided that that country has un-utilised bilateral agreement with India.

Similarly, Lufthansa, which now operates only from German airports, will also be allowed to operate services from any other European country.

According to sources, however, the proposed agreement will not do away with the individual bilateral agreements that India has with European countries.

"The number of flights from each country will be governed by the individual agreement with each country," said a source.

It may be recalled that the European Commission's regulatory arm recently said the new India-UK aviation accord benefiting airlines such as British Airways must be broadened to cover all the European Union carriers.

Sources, however, also said India was yet to firm up its view on this request of the European Union, as it felt that it could hamper the commercial interest of Indian carriers.

Sources also said the European Union is was favouring an open and unrestricted bilateral air-services agreement between India and all the European countries.

Besides, India has also scheduled bilateral air services talks with Germany and Belgium later this month.

India and the UK firmed up a new liberal air services agreement last month.

The new agreement allows India carriers to operate 56 flights from Delhi and Mumbai to London apart from offering unlimited flights from India to the UK from other locations in the country.

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Flying high

Tie-ups stay: The proposed agreement will not do away with bilateral agreements that India has with European countries.

More rights: Carriers like British Airways and Lufthansa will be able to operate flights from any European country, provided the third country has a bilateral agreement with India.