Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Open Sky Agreements, OST
Mains level: Not Much
The UAE is keen to have an open sky agreement with India.
Open Skies Agreement! Look how confusing does it sound compared to the Open Skies Treaty between the US and Russia.
What is the Open Skies Agreement?
- The National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, allows the government to enter into an ‘open sky’ air services agreement on a reciprocal basis with SAARC nations as well as countries beyond a 5,000-kilometre radius from New Delhi.
- This 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.
- India has open sky agreements with Japan, Greece, Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka.
- India also has an open sky agreement with the US, among other countries.
Why UAE wants such an agreement with India?
- There are about 1,068 flights a week between India and the UAE operated by the airlines of the two countries under the bilateral Air Service Agreement.
- India has open skies policy with SAARC countries and those beyond the 5,000-km radius.
- UAE wants India to revisit this policy.
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