Sino-Indian Talks On Direct Flights From Tommorow

Indo-Chinese talks on starting direct flights between the two countries are slated to begin in Beijing tomorrow. An Indian civil aviation and external affairs team left for the Chinese capital yesterday to discuss the agreement which, if successful, may lead to a boom in civil flights over Asia.

Besides direct flights, the talks will cover fifth freedom rights to non-Indian and non-Chinese carriers. As an example, this means allowing a Gulf carrier to operate Beijing-Delhi-Gulf flights or a South-East Asian operator like Singapore Airlines to fly China-India-Singapore.

The discussions will also include the future of Hong Kong-India flights, particularly whether to treat Cathay Pacific, the former British colony's carrier, as a Chinese airline for the purpose of bilateral air rights or maintain a separate agreement after the Chinese takeover.

 

Officials said the Indian delegation included civil aviation secretary M K Kaw and the director-general of civil aviation H S Khola, besides other officials. The team will meet the Chinese and Hong Kong civil aviation authorities for talks expected to last till the next week-end.

A senior aviation analyst, who specialises in the Asia-Pacific region, said if India and China agreed to fifth freedom flights, it would mean direct international flights to the relatively underdeveloped western provinces of China which are trying to catch up with the booming Beijing-Shanghai belt.

The analyst said the growth of civil aviation in Asia, although rapid, could be greater if India and China allowed overflying and fifth-freedom rights. Carriers were barred from accessing India through China and vice versa. If the new agreement succeeds on this count, a 5-7 per cent rise in aircraft movements is likely.

At the moment the only exception to this is Ethiopian Airlines, which flies between East African nations, Mumbai and Beijing. The distance between India-Korea and India-Japan will be shortened if overflying China is allowed.

The agreement will discuss nominating one or two carriers on either side to operate either direct or connecting flights. While India has two state-owned carriers, China has nine. The official Hong Kong airline, Cathay Pacific, has been pressing for more flying rights and to operate direct flights between Madras-Hong Kong.