India, Japan sign ''open sky'' agreement

Gandhinagar, September 14

India and Japan on Thursday signed an agreement under which their airlines can operate an unlimited number of flights between the two countries.

The pact is as per National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, which permits the government to enter into an ‘open sky’ air services agreement on a reciprocal basis with SAARC nations as well as countries with territory located entirely beyond a 5,000 kilometre radius from New Delhi.

Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, and Indian carriers Air India and Jet Airways are the airlines that fly between the two countries.

Last year India signed an open sky agreement with Greece, Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka.

India also signed a bilateral open sky agreement with the US in 2005. PTI