Chile and India have signed a new open skies agreement allowing “unlimited cargo services between the two countries using any type of aircraft with full traffi c rights to, from or via any intermediary”. The agreement supersedes a previous agreement which although creating a liberalised environment, imposed certain restrictions.

Chilean Civil Aeronautic Council (JAC) secretary general, Jorge Frei, highlighted the signifi cance of the newly refined tie-up: “We’re allowing operators to transport cargo to a gigantic market, whose foreign trade grew 162 percent last year”, he said according to Reuters.

According to the Chilean Government the country has seen a six-fold increase in trade with India since 2002. In 2006, the South American nation exported goods to India valued at US$1.49 billion in total, with US$164.5 million going the other way.