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Two American airlines get approval to fly India
The airlines have been given green signal on the eve of Open Skies agreement between India and the US.
Two major US airlines have been given the green signal to fly to Indian cities on the eve of the historic Open Skies agreement between India and the US due to be signed later this month.
The US Department of Transportation has given Northwest Airlines and the American Airlines the "go ahead" to initiate the process to launch their flights to India.
Representatives of a large number of airlines were expected to accompany US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta on his visit to India mid-April when the Open Skies agreement would be signed.
Transportation Department Public Affairs Specialist Bill Mosley said as per the approval given to Northwest on March 3 and to American Airlines on March 16, both the carriers can fly to any Indian city any number of times.
The two airlines had applied for "broad authority" to serve to India soon after such a decision in principle was taken by the two countries in January during the visit of Indian Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel to Washington.
However, the two airlines would have to seek a few other clearances before they could actually fly, he observed.
It is understood that both the airlines have moved the necessary application before the Indian government and the US Department of Homeland Security.
Mosley said no other application was pending before the Department.
Following the approval, Northwest Airlines has decided to launch its Minneapolis-Bangalore service via Amsterdam from Oct 30.
"The information has already been loaded in our system. We are now waiting approval from the Indian government, before we could formally announce," a Northwest spokesperson said.
Flight No. 34 would leave Amsterdam at 12:15 p.m. on Oct 30 to reach Bangalore at 2:15 a.m. On Oct 31, flight 33 would depart from Bangalore at 4:15 a.m. and arrive in Amsterdam at 10:40 a.m.
"This would be a daily service. We would use Airbus A330-300 aircraft for this," the spokesperson said.
However, the airline, he said, would continue with its present agreement with KLM for its services to New Delhi and Mumbai.
