India and Saudi Arabia sign expanded bilateral air services agreement

India and Saudi Arabia signed (17-Sep-09) an expanded bilateral air services agreement, details include:

• Multiple designation: Each side may designate any number of airlines;
• Capacity: Increase from 8,500 seats per week with frequencies not exceeding 31 services, to 20,000 seats per week with frequencies not exceeding 75 services per week;
• Destinations:
  • Designated Indian carriers may operate to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Medinah;
  • Designated Saudi carriers may operate to Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Calicut and Lucknow;
• Summer Schedule 2009: Saudi Arabian Airlines may operate 39 services per week, including nine to Mumbai, five to Hyderabad, seven to Delhi, five to Chennai, four to Kochi, two to Bangalore, four to Calicut and three to Lucknow. Air India may operate 46 services per week, 16 to Riyadh, 14 to Jeddah and 16 to Damman;
• Dammam open skies: Capacity operated by Indian carriers to/from Dammam, for which an open skies policy has been declared by the Saudi Arabian Government shall not be counted against the capacity entitlements available to the Indian carriers;
• Cargo: Open skies policy with regard to all cargo services with full third and fourth freedom traffic rights;
• Marketing: Articles on co-operative marketing arrangements and aviation safety have been introduced. [more]