India, Nepal to discuss cross-border airspace issues on June 14

Kathmandu: A technical delegation from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is scheduled to visit Nepal on June 14 to discuss cross-border airspace issues, confirmed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

The two sides are likely to discuss three key cross-border routes that Nepal has sought from India: Janakpur in the eastern, Nepalgunj in the mid-western and Mahendranagar in the far western regions, reported the Kathmandu Post.

"We don`t know about the mandate that the Indian delegation has been entrusted with by its government, but we are prepared to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) if the discussions yield a positive outcome," the report quoted a high-level anonymous CAAN official, as saying.

"If the MoU is signed during this meeting, it will open the door for both sides to conduct a safety assessment of the proposed routes soon," the official added.

According to the report, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s visit two-day state visit to Nepal on May 11, the issue of new air routes was on the agenda.

Nepal has been pushing the agenda of expanding cross-border air routes for the past nine years, the report said.