Cargo Handling

India amends rules for foreign charter cargo flights

However, under the DGCA’s revised Open Sky policy for foreign cargo carriers, “operations of foreign ad hoc and pure non-scheduled freighter charter service flights will now be restricted to six Indian airports.” These are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

The changes allow Indian carriers to operate non-scheduled cargo flights from any airport in the country.

India’s Minister for Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, explained that “no changes have been made in the Open Sky policy for scheduled cargo operations of Indian or foreign carriers. Foreign carriers can still fly scheduled cargo flights to and from any point in India.”

The changes applicable to charter and non-scheduled cargo flights by foreign airlines come after 28 years. In 1992, the DGCA allowed such flights from any airports in India where customs and immigration facilities are available.

Puri said that “in these COVID-19-affected times, some changes have been made in the open sky policy for cargo.”

photo: Himmat Rathore

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