India has formalized Bilateral Air Services Agreements (ASAs) with 116 countries, enhancing its global connectivity and supporting economic and tourism growth. These agreements facilitate international flights between India and the participating nations, aiming to boost global air travel.
In a recent Rajya Sabha session, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol detailed India’s ASAs, addressing questions from Dr. John Brittas. The agreements do not assign specific airports as Points of Call (PoC) but rather designate cities to facilitate international flights.
Cities listed under these agreements include Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Bangalore, and others. The agreements ensure that international flights are managed efficiently by specifying cities, rather than entire states, for operational purposes.
The Minister confirmed that no Indian state is designated as a PoC. This practice allows for more flexible and manageable flight operations by permitting multiple airports within a city to handle international flights.
The choice of cities over states in these agreements aims to streamline international aviation operations and enhance global connectivity. This approach provides greater flexibility and coverage for airlines, promoting better operational efficiency.
Source: The Economic Times