The bilateral air traffic entitlements under the recent MoU with increased flights and seating capacities, combined with withdrawal of the tourist visa restriction, augur well for tourism flows between the two countries during 2013 and beyond.
India-Oman relations are civilizational and go back to the traditional maritime trade ties across the Arabian Sea. Historically, people-to-people contacts over centuries were exclusively by boats sailing over waters that connected the two countries. But the salience of journeys by sea has declined over time.
At the same time, geography dictated that road and railway connections between India and Oman were non options. Thus, today, airline flights are the most efficient and practical mode of connectivity popular with the jet-set of the 21st century for travel between India and Oman.
The air traffic regime between India and Oman has been governed by the Air Services Agreement of 1995 and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) periodically agreed to in response to fast changing requirements.
Accordingly, with the Embassy's proactive involvement, a new landmark India-Oman MoU on air services was concluded on November 26, 2012 in Muscat by the civil aviation authorities of the two countries. The MoU signals a substantial increase in airline capacity between the two countries: Seats are to increase from 11,550 to 16,016 per week for either side in each direction.
04/01/13 J.S. Mukul(Ambassador of India to Oman)/Times of Oman
