US accuses India of unfair procedures on charter flights
23 June, 2020
The US Transportation Department on Mon (Jun 22) accused the Indian government of engaging in "unfair and discriminatory practices" on charter air transportation services to and from India and issued an order requiring Indian airline carriers to use for authorization prior to conducting charter flights.
The order will allow US officials "to scrutinise charter flights by Indian carriers on a case-by-case basis".
The section said it "seeks to revive a level playing field for all of us airlines" under the US-India Air Transport Agreement.
The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, has banned all scheduled services and failed to approve US carriers for charter operations, the section said.
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately comment. The buy works well Jul 22.
The section previously accused China of unfairly denying U.S. airline carriers the opportunity to conduct flights and in addition demanded China seek preapproval for some charter flights.
The US government said Air India has been operating what it calls "repatriation" charter flights between India and the United States in both guidelines since May 7.
Air India is advertising flights "that would constitute an interest rate of 53 % of the scheduled companies it operated prior to the onset of the existing public health crisis," the department said.
"Considering this price of flying, and that Atmosphere India is advertising tickets out there, the charters exceed true repatriations, and it appears that Air India could be working with repatriation charters as a way of circumventing the GoI-imposed prohibition of scheduled services."
The government first raised objections with the Indian government through engagement by the united states Embassy New Delhi on, may 28.
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