CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Nepal has rejected India’s ‘open sky’ offer to allow unlimited flights between the two countries at a meeting held here on December 20, senior officials of the Civil Aviation Ministry said. Nepal said it was not yet ready for the agreement.

Detailed explanation-2: -India has open sky agreements with Greece, Jamaica, Guyana, Finland, the USA, Japan, etc.

Detailed explanation-3: -Aviation experts in Nepal believe that India constructed the Kushinagar airport specially to depreciate GBIA and the reason not to offer an air route to it, was India’s anxiety about high prospects for a spike in numbers of tourists in Lumbini with its worldwide promotion, affecting the Kushinagar airport.

Detailed explanation-4: -It expands international passenger and cargo flights. India has Air Service Agreements (ASA) with 109 countries including UAE covering aspects relating to the number of flights, seats, landing points and code-share. But does not allow unlimited number of flights between two countries.

Detailed explanation-5: -The agreement aims to allow an unlimited number of flights from India to Greece whereas Greece is allowed to make unlimited flights to 6 metro cities in India.