MoCA in Discussions With Seychelles and South Korea for Bilateral Agreement Revision

In the recent past, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has revised the bilateral air service agreements with a few countries such as the United Kingdom and Thailand. Now, it is engaging with countries like Seychelles and South Korea for revision in the bilateral agreement.

A bilateral air service agreement (BASA) allows carriers from two specific countries to operate flights to each other. This agreement includes the number of permissible seats and points of call (POC).

MoCA: Discussions Underway With Seychelles & S. Korea

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is in talks with countries like Seychelles and South Korea for revision of the bilateral agreement. As part of this revision, new elements like codeshare permissions and increased freighter rights may be included in the agreement.

At present, Air India and Korean Air are the only airlines operating between India and Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Air India operates four times a week with its Boeing 787s, while Korean Air operates three times a week with the Boeing 777-200. While Air India is a member of Star Alliance, Korean Air is affiliated with Skyteam Alliance.

Talking about Seychelles, Air Seychelles is the only airline operational between Mumbai and Victoria. The airline operates once weekly service on this route.

In the upcoming year, IndiGo will receive the delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR, which will allow the airline to operate non-stop flights from any point in India to Seoul. There is a high chance that the airline may start flights connecting Seoul to India.

The strategy of the Indian Government aims to develop Indian airports into hubs, facilitating seamless transfer for both domestic and foreign passengers to major global destinations. Another goal is to enable domestic airlines to carry more international passengers.

UK & Thailand BASA Amendment✅

The Government of India has successfully revised the bilateral air service agreement with Thailand and the United Kingdom.

The governments of India and Thailand have allocated 14,000 weekly seats to their carriers in a single direction. Previously, the total entitlement was 32,000 weekly seats. The increment will be completed within two phases, with the grant of 7,000 seats in each phase.

The second phase will be disbursed only when 80% of entitlement from the first phase has been utilized. Flying rights held by defunct carrier GoFirst have been distributed among Indian carriers. The addition of 14,000 seats marks a 43% rise in allotted seats under the bilateral agreement.

Similarly, India has revised the bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom. Previously, airlines were allowed to operate 56X weekly from Heathrow to Delhi & Mumbai. Now, the entitlement has been increased from 56X to 70X weekly. Airlines from the United Kingdom have already fulfilled their renewed bilateral quotas as British Airways announced its third Delhi service in the Summer of 2025, and Virgin Atlantic anticipated to start the second Mumbai service in the upcoming winter.

On one side where the government is renewing bilateral agreements with some countries, there is discontent from others because of blockage on these rights. Emirates and Turkish Airlines are looking to operate more flights to Indian cities. Turkish Airlines wants to add flights between Antalya to India, but the Indian government has restricted the expansion of bilateral rights, blocking these hub airlines from sourcing international traffic from India.

Conclusion: Bilateral Agreement Revision

The Government of India is in talks with Seychelles and South Korea for a revision in bilateral agreement. At present, Air Seychelles is the only carrier connecting Victoria to India with once weekly Mumbai service. On the other hand, S Korea is connected to Delhi by Air India and Korean Air. GoI has already revised the bilateral agreements with the UK and Thailand.

What do you think about the expansion of bilateral agreements with Seychelles and South Korea? Discuss in the comment section.