Us restricts Air India's "vande Bharat" flights
9:24 AM
The Vande Bharat Mission was announced in April to bring Indian citizens back from several countries.
On June 3, Air India released a schedule for additional repatriation flights that includes 49 US-India round-trip charter flights between June 10-July 1.
On June 13, it announced 10 additional repatriation flights between June 20-July 3.
ALLEGATIONS FROM US
The US Transportation Department alleged,
Air India Ltd. has been making flights to repatriate its citizens during the travel disruptions caused bythe Covid-19 outbreak,
But also has been selling tickets to the public.
Indian government has prevented US carriers from conducting India-US passenger charter operations involving direct sales to individual passengers.
On the other hand, the United States has not placed any limitations on US-India charter operations.
The US alleged that India has violated a
treaty governing aviation between the two countries.
FREEDOMS OF AIR IN CIVIL AVIATION
They pertain to a set of rights accorded to a country’s airlines to enter or land in another country’s airspace or airports.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
There are nine freedoms of the air.
These rights generally operate on a bilaterally reciprocal basis.
ACTION TAKEN BY US?
US DOT has determined that this situation calls for close scrutiny, on a case-by-case basis, of Air Indiapassenger charter operations.
The US has ordered that prior approval be sought for all Air India repatriation flights, which will enable the US government to exercise that scrutiny.
HAS INDIA RESPONDED?
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said:
“We have received requests from concerned authorities in several countries including the US, France, Germany among others requesting that their air carriers be allowed to participate in the transportation of passengers along the line being conducted by Air India under Vande Bharat Mission.
These requests are being examined.”
On June 15, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation
had said:
“… DGCA granted permission to around 870 chartered flights, transporting around 2 lakh passengers, both inbound & outbound…”
SAME ACTION AGAINST CHINA ALSO
The action against India follows weeks of DOT restrictions against Chinese airlines after the U.S. agency accused that nation of unfairly banning American carriers in the wake of the virus.