NEW DELHI, April 6 – Airlines of India and Singapore would now be able to fly ten per cent more passengers with the signing of a new MoU to enhance the bilateral air traffic agreement. The MoU, however, bars Singaporean carriers from operating the superjumbo Airbus A-380 to India, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
It enhances by ten per cent the capacity entitlements with Indian carriers now entitled to operate 29,400 weekly passenger seats from India to Singapore and the designated airlines of Singapore flying 28,700 weekly passenger seats from Singapore to India, an official statement said here. The MoU was signed by Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Singapore’s Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew earlier this week in Singapore.
“No additional point of call has been given to Singapore. India also did not agree to the demand of Singapore for additional points of call at Pune and Madurai,” the statement said, adding that “the designated airlines of Singapore can operate with any aircraft type, except A-380.”
The common pool rights for 5,160 seats earlier available to Singaporean airlines, which provided greater operational flexibility to them at major metro centres like Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai, have now been withdrawn, it said. Singh also held discussions with the Singapore Transport Minister and Second Minister of Trade and Industry S Iswaran to explore cooperation in various fields of civil aviation.
Both sides felt the need to foster greater cooperation in areas of airport development and airport management, apart from training in aviation skill development, maintenance, repairs and overhaul services, aviation safety and exchange of technology transfer in air space management and navigation.
Singapore’s Transport Ministry said, “As demand for air services between both countries continue to grow, the bilateral air services agreement was enhanced to include more capacity entitlements. … Both countries also agreed to meet regularly to review air services matters.”
BERNAMA
