India-UAE: Open Skies Agreement

India-UAE: Open Skies Agreement

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – India and the World, International Relations; Policies of countries affecting India’s interest

In news:

• UAE is keen to have an open sky agreement with India.
• India has a open skies policy with SAARC countries and those beyond the 5,000-km radius, which implies that nations within this distance need to enter into a bilateral agreement and mutually determine the number of flights that their airlines can operate between the two countries. (as per National Civil Aviation Policy (2016))
• It is this policy that the UAE Ambassador wants India to revisit.

About Open Sky Agreement

• Open Sky Agreements are bilateral agreements that the two countries negotiate to provide rights for airlines to offer international passenger and cargo services. It expands international passenger and cargo flights.
• India has Air Service Agreements (ASA) with 109 countries including UAE. But, India does not allow unlimited number of flights between two countries.
• Open skies between India and UAE will allow unlimited number of flights to the selected cities of each other’s countries.