Russia set to operate more passenger flights to India

Currently, Aeroflot is operating seven weekly flights to India while no Indian airline is flying to Russia.

India and Russia have "in principle" agreed to revise their bilateral air services agreement whereby Russian carriers will be allowed to operate as many as 64 weekly flights to various Indian cities, according to a senior official.

Under the existing agreement, Russia can operate up to 52 weekly civilian flights to India.

India has "in principle" agreed to increase the number of weekly flights that Russian carriers can operate to India to 64. In this regard, the bilateral air services agreement will be amended in due course, the official said.

Currently, Aeroflot is operating seven weekly flights to India while no Indian airline is flying to Russia. Earlier, Air India used to operate flights to Moscow.

On the condition of anonymity, the official also said it will take some time before Russian carriers will be able to fully utilise the quota of the total number of weekly flights permitted to operate to India.

Last month, an Indian delegation led by Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal visited Moscow for a meeting related to bilateral cooperation in civil aviation.

A protocol on cooperation in the civil aviation sector was also formalised at the meeting on February 17, the Civil Aviation Ministry had said in a tweet.