The Government of Nepal and Australian Government has sat for a meeting in Montreal to sign an Air Service Agreement (ASA) between the respective countries. The ASA was signed on Monday in Canada. The long waited agreement has opened the sky of Nepal and Australia for the carriers of both the countries to fly to and from the major airports of the both countries.
The ASA will now allow seven weekly flights from Nepal to major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth, and unrestricted flights to other destinations in Australia. Similarly, Australian carriers would also be permitted to operate seven flights weekly to Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, and another 28 weekly services to Bhairahawa and Pokhara.
Suresh Acharya, joint-secretary at the Tourism Ministry and Jim Wolfe, executive director of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development of Australia, signed on the agreement in Montreal, Canada this Monday.
The ASA has facilitated both the countries to have unrestricted cargo limits to fly between the countries. Under the domestic code-share agreement, Australian carriers will be free to enter into code-share agreements with Nepali domestic carriers to any point in Nepal.
Nepal and Australia have also agreed on a third-country code-share deal which allows carriers of the two countries to share marketing services with airlines from third countries.
A code-share agreement is an arrangement under which two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased from one airline on a flight that is actually operated by another airline under a different flight number or code.
It provides travelers coordinated customer service—a single ticket and through check-in of bags to their final destinations. The agreement is a low-risk way for airlines to expand their network without added cost.
The agreement has also allowed fifth freedom traffic rights. Under this arrangement, the designated airlines of Nepal may exercise fifth freedom traffic rights at any two intermediate points in Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East; and beyond Australia to any two points in New Zealand.
Similarly, the designated airlines of Australia may exercise fifth freedom traffic rights at any two intermediate points in Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East; and any two points beyond Nepal except New Delhi in India.
Info from The Kathmandu Post
