New Zealand has signed new air services agreements with India and New Caledonia paving the way for more significant business and tourism opportunities.
Transport Minister Simon Bridges signed a deal with Sanjeev Balyan, India’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.
New Zealand’s annual trade with India is worth more than $1 billion.
“New Zealand airlines now have the opportunity to code-share to seven cities in India – Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi,” says Bridges.
“In the year to 31 March 2016, almost 52,000 Kiwis travelled to India and close to 60,000 Indians visited New Zealand. Also, more than 160,000 people of Indian descent live here,” says Bridges.
Bridges also formalised new air services arrangements negotiated in November 2015 with New Caledonia president Philippe Germain.
The provisions open up new opportunities for airlines to fly between New Zealand and New Caledonia.
“Under the new agreement, airlines from New Zealand and New Caledonia now have the chance to operate additional services to the other,” says Bridges.
“The agreement will also make the process easier for New Zealand airlines to fly from New Caledonia to other international destinations in future,” he says.
“The two countries are close Pacific neighbours, with nearly 30,000 passengers travelling between them each year,” says Bridges.
Bridges says since implementing Government’s International Air Transport policy in 2012 more than 50 new or amended air agreements negotiated, bringing the total to 78.
Most of the major airlines in the world are now able to operate services to New Zealand without restriction, with 18 new air routes announced in the past year.
