The Pernicious Blowbacks of Economic Nationalism vis-à-vis Bilateral ASAs

This article seeks to delve into, and elucidate upon, an issue of contemporary relevance in the domain of Aviation Law i.e., the government’s decision to eschew calls from various airlines and countries to revise existing bilateral Air Service Agreements (ASAs) with these countries. The primary contention of this article is that such a position is not in the best interests of Indian passengers, as well as Indian airlines. The first two parts provide a brief exposition of certain concepts relevant to this discussion, as well as an overview of the international and national laws in this regard. The third and fourth parts attempt to put things in perspective and argue why an Open Skies Policy is best suited for India at this juncture. The fifth part and conclusion primarily counter the government’s arguments and strongly advocate a liberal approach to international aviation in India.