A petition presented to the House of Commons by Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP Brad Vis bore fruit on Monday.
Vis, a member of the Conservative caucus, offered the same petition four times to the Government of Canada that requested direct flights from Vancouver to Amritsar, Punjab. Vis brought forth petitions to Parliament in October, June and twice in April with a total of 698 signatures.
On Monday, Canada’s Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced an expanded agreement between Canada and India to operate unlimited flights between the two countries. The previous agreement was limited to 35 flights per week.
“I am thrilled our work has paid off and Governments listened to the call from our Canadian-Punjabi communities. This renegotiation recognizes the high market demand and strong economic advantage to both our nations. It will bolster tourism, trade, and empower families to stay connected,” Vis said.
India is Canada’s fourth-largest international airport market. The new agreement gives Canadian air carriers access to Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
“The expanded air transport agreement between Canada and India is a positive development for air transport relations between our countries. We are pleased to expand this relationship with additional flexibility for airlines to serve this growing market. By making the movement of goods and people faster and easier, this expanded agreement will continue to facilitate trade and investment between Canada and India and help our businesses grow and succeed,” Alghabra said in a press release.
The agreement allows airlines to use their new rights immediately.