India Wants To Clarify Flight Pact With Malaysia

New Delhi: India is ready to hold discussions with Malaysia to clarify the frequency of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flights to Indian cities under its open skies policies.
An official from India's Civil Aviation Ministry told Bernama that the country did not impose any ban on MAS flights as reported in the papers lately but admitted that India was unhappy with Kuala Lumpur's decision not to give landing rights to two of its carriers.
"There was some misunderstanding. We did not issue any ban but we did ask why the two airlines were not allowed to land in Malaysia under the Asean agreement," said the senior director who declined to be named.
"We said that if our (Indian) carriers are not allowed (more landing rights) under the Asean agreement, then MAS should not also be given similar rights under the same agreement," he said.
Last week, leading local newspapers reported that the Indian Civil Aviation Department had issued a ban warning to MAS as retaliation to Malaysia's decision not to allow Air Sahara and the Indian Express to fly to Kuala Lumpur.
India nominated the two carriers to operate the Malaysian route and Air Sahara was planning to begin its Delhi-Kuala Lumpur operations last March.
23/05/07 P. Vijian/Bernama, Malaysia

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Categories: Foreign May 2007, General Aviation May 2007