The Canadian government today announced an expanded agreement between Canada and India that will allow designated airlines to operate an unlimited number of flights between the two countries.
The previous agreement limited each country to 35 flights per week.
This significant move will allow airlines of Canada and India to better respond to the needs of the Canada-India air transport market.
The new rights under the expanded agreement are available for use by airlines immediately.
“The expanded air transport agreement between Canada and India is a positive development for air transport relations between our countries,” said Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. “We are pleased to expand this relationship with additional flexibility for airlines to serve this growing market.
“By making the movement of goods and people faster and easier, this expanded agreement will continue to facilitate trade and investment between Canada and India and help our businesses grow and succeed.”
“The Canada-India economic relationship is built on deep-rooted people to people ties. With this expanded air transport agreement, we are facilitating even more exchanges of professionals, students, business people, and investors,” said Mary Ng
Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development.
“As we strengthen our trade and investment relationship with India, we will continue building bridges like this that enable our entrepreneurs, workers, and businesses to access new opportunities.”
Quick Facts
* India is Canada’s 4th largest international air transport market.
* Canada’s first air transport agreement with India was concluded in 1982, and was last expanded in 2011. This new agreement was reached under Canada’s Blue Sky policy, which encourages long-term, sustainable competition and the development of international air services.
* The agreement gives Canadian air carriers access to Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai, and Indian air carriers access to Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver, and two additional points to be selected by India.
* Other cities in both countries can be served indirectly through code-share services.
* Rights for all-cargo services are already unrestricted.
Image by Sofia Terzoni from Pixabay.
WESTJET CODESHARE WITH JAPAN AIRLINES
WestJet today announced an enhancement to its codeshare agreement with Japan Airlines, enabling the airline’s “WS” code on Japan Airlines (JAL) operated flights between Vancouver International Airport and Narita International Airport in Tokyo.
With the addition of Tokyo as a destination available for sale to guests on WestJet.com and through the airline’s call centre and travel trade partners, WestJet guests can now seamlessly book travel to Tokyo via Vancouver from across the airline’s domestic network.
“As transpacific air travel increases between Canada and Japan, this is an ideal time to launch this new step in our cooperation with Japan Airlines,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “Both our countries have substantial inbound and outbound tourism markets and this enhancement will bring more convenient options to travellers on both sides of the Pacific.”
This new development expands the long-standing codeshare agreement between WestJet and Japan airlines which has been in place since 2011.
