Chile, India sign open skies air cargo pact
05 Sep 2007
Mumbai: Chile and India have signed a bilateral agreement establishing an open skies policy for air cargo and liberalising passenger transport services, Chile''s Civil Aeronautic Council (JAC) said.
The new treaty grants cargo transport "unlimited number of these services from and to Chile or India, using any type of aircraft and with full traffic rights to, from, or via any intermediary," the government said in a statement.
The statement said cabotage rights or transporting cargo between two points within a country by a foreign carrier were excluded.
"We''re allowing operators to transport cargo to a gigantic market, whose foreign trade grew 162 per cent last year," said Jorge Frei, JAC secretary general, in reference to India.
"It will significantly liberalise air passenger transport, helping airlines to establish operations or sell fares to Chile or India, helping to encourage the arrival of tourists from India," Frei said.
The Chilean government said trade between Chile and India has increased six times in the last five years.