Indo-Pakistan talks to improve aviation links

More flights, more destinations may be discussed

BY A CORRESPONDENT
March 1, 2006

India and Pakistan will hold high-level talks on March 7 and 8 to discuss increasing flights between the two countries. After a long gap, flights between Indian and Pakistan were resumed in 2004.

Last year, there was a similar meeting in Islamabad on similar objectives. At the meeting, Pakistan is reported to have made the offer to allow more Indian airlines and private operators to fly into that country, in exchange for flying rights to Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai. However, these talks did not bear fruit.

Currently, only national carriers of the two countries fly between India and Pakistan. Air India and Pakistan International Airlines operate services between New Delhi and Mumbai in India to Karachi and Lahore in Pakistan.

Last year, Pakistan had offered Peshawar and Islamabad as additional destinations for Indian airlines.

The meeting this time is also expected to take into account allowing more airlines to fly to more cities in both countries.

Asia is seen as the hub of aviation growth for the rest of the decade. Besides improving connectivity, increasing air links between India and Pakistan will surely go a long way in building confidence between the two nations.