Revised India-Morocco air service gets cabinet nod

NEW DELHI: The Cabinet has approved the revised air services agreement between India and Morocco, whereby carriers from the two countries can operate unlimited number of flights from select cities. Airlines from both countries can enter into code share agreements.

Code sharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless travel to destinations where it has no presence. The revised bilateral air services agreement between India and Morocco would replace the pact signed between the two countries in December 2004.

Currently, there are no direct flights between the two countries. The revised air services agreement “signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations between India and Morocco and has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges,” an official release said. According to the release, the existing pact does not does not have the updated clauses on safety, security, designation of airlines, commercial activities and tariffs, among others

“Besides, the provisions of cooperative marketing arrangements which enable both sides to establish the code share on each other flights and also on the flights of third country carriers are also not available in the present air services agreement,” it added. Indian designated carriers can operate any number of services to/ from Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakesh, Agadir, Tangier and Fez in Morocco.

Similarly, the designated carriers of Morocco can operate any number of services to/from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. “The designated airline of each party can enter into cooperative marketing arrangements with the designated carriers of same party, other party and that of a third party,” the release said.

Further, the pact allows designated airlines of either countries to establish offices in the territory of other country for the promotion and sale of air services. The agreement also has provisions relating to “revocation or suspension of operating authorization, principles governing operations of agreed services, commercial opportunities, safety and security related clause etc  that have been incorporated in line of Indian Model ASA,” the release said. The revised pact – cleared by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi – would also provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity, it added. PTI