Revised India-Morocco air services pact gets Cabinet nod

The Cabinet today approved the revised air services agreement between India and Morocco, whereby carriers from the two countries can operate an unlimited number of flights from select cities.

Airlines from both countries can enter into codeshare 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 do 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 codeshare 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 the same party, other party and that of a third party," the release said.

Further, the pact allows designated airlines of either country to establish offices in the territory of another 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 the 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 an environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)