In order to establish an institutional framework for co-operation in the civil aviation sector, the Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) amongst BRICS Nations. It approved the signing of MoU amongst BRICS Nations on the Regional Aviation Partnership Cooperation viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The objective is that BRICS countries will benefit from the establishing of an institutional framework to cooperate in the field of civil aviation.
Among the areas of cooperation, following areas have been identified: the countries will co-operate in the areas of public policies and best practices in regional services, regional airports, airport infrastructure management and air navigation services. Technical cooperation between regulatory agencies, innovation, environment sustainability, initiatives, qualification and training, will also be among the areas where the five countries would look to work together.
The MoU signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations between India and other BRICS member states and has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges amongst the BRICS nations. India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world and has been consistently registering double-digit growth for more than three years.