NEW DELHI: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said a technical trilateral committee will be established between India, the UAE and Oman to arrive at solutions to the operational challenges for flights due to geopolitical tensions.
Naidu met Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Economy and Tourism Minister of the UAE, amid the evolving geopolitical situation and its impact on regional airspace operations.
Referring to the meeting in his post on X, Naidu said, “We agreed to establish a technical trilateral committee comprising India, Oman and the UAE to address operational challenges and work towards coordinated solutions.”
The meeting also set the stage for the upcoming technical discussions between the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Middle East and Asia-Pacific Regions later this month on the issue, the Minister added.
The joint attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, which began on February 28, and the counterattacks have destabilised the region. Many cities have imposed airspace restrictions, forcing Indian airlines to cancel operations to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and other cities in November.
Naidu also met the Minister of International Trade of Canada, Maninder Sidhu, on the sidelines of the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam.
"We discussed opportunities to deepen India-Canada cooperation in civil aviation, with more partnerships between Indian MSMEs and the Canadian aviation industry," Naidu said. Strengthening air cargo connectivity to facilitate bilateral trade and opportunities in aviation training and skill development were also discussed.
