Article Posted on : - Jun 18, 2009

A file photo of the Paris Air Show

NEW DELHI (PTI): India and France has decided that air safety regulators of both countries will work together on civil aviation safety issues in a bid to standardise regulations and practices.

This was decided at the meeting that Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had with French Transport Minister Dominique Brussereau in Paris Wednesday, on the sidelines of the ongoing airshow there.

The French Minister assured Patel that he would take up the issue of "discriminatory treatment" meted out to Indian nationals in transit at the Charles de Gaulle Airport by the Interior Ministry, an official spokesperson said.

The two governments decided to work closely on air safety programme with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and its French counterpart DGAC coordinating on issues relating to civil aviation practices, she said.

France has also agreed to be a partner country in India Aviation Airshow to be held in March 2010 at Hyderabad.

Patel has gone to Paris to attend the airshow and met several top officials of major aviation companies, including Airbus, Eurocopter, Bombardier, Augusta Westland, Rolls Royce and Air France, with all of them expressing willingness in partnerships in different ventures and to invest in India.