India, Canada discussing open skies policy, says Scindia

TORONTO: India and Canada are looking at an open skies policy and the matter featured prominently during a discussion with Canada transport minister Omar Alghabra in Ottawa on Tuesday, Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said.

Scindia, who is on a three-day visit to Canada since Monday, told HT an open skies policy will be pursued “to promote greater facilitation from both countries in terms of connectivity”. An open skies framework results in unlimited direct and indirect flights between two countries.

The two ministers also held talks for an Air Transport Agreement (ATA) — a legally binding document for open skies — between the two countries.

Restrictions due to Covid-19 were now “all in the past”, Scindia said, adding: “We have 20 flights from Canada to India and 10 flights from India to Canada.”

Scindia said he had “a very fruitful exchange” with Alghabra. “We outlined the next steps on our engagement with Canada,” he said.

Among those steps is a memorandum of understanding (MOU) “to be signed on civil aviation cooperation, which will talk about MROS (maintenance, overhaul and repair), helicopter emergency medical services, aircraft manufacturing… pretty much across the board,” he added.

While the MOU was signed in 2016, it expired in 2019 and can possibly be renewed in two weeks, Scindia said. “We are waiting for a revert from the Canadian side, they’ve promised to revert as soon as possible,” he said, adding that the agreement will focus on deepening technical cooperation in aviation.