New Delhi. 24 December 2020. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has given its approval for signing the revised Air Services Agreement between India and Afghanistan.
The revised Air Services Agreement signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations between the two countries and has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries bringing it in tune with the developments in the civil aviation sector. It will provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both sides ensuring greater safety and security.
It may be recalled that in the recent past India has been adding more cities and products to the recently launched India-Afghanistan air corridor to further strengthen bilateral ties. India can offer technical expertise to better handle perishables and time bound cargo. The two countries can work together to standardise testing and export cargo commodities within Afghanistan itself as it would help in reduction of their holding times once they reach Indian airports.
India has always shown interest in promoting a “dialogue on air corridors with the participation of civil aviation authorities, air freight and aviation companies of India and Central Asia so that goods, including perishable items, can be transported efficiently and swiftly”. India has already been operating air corridors between India and several Afghan cities in order to bypass Pakistan which has consistently denied the transport of Indian goods overland to Afghanistan through its territory.
