ISLAMABAD: Japanese Ambassador Kuninori Matsuda has mentioned that PIA has two weekly flights on the route of Islamabad-Beijing-Tokyo, so Japan Airline wants to start flight on Islamabad-Bangkok-Tokyo route.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Federal Minister for Aviation during his meeting with Kuninori Matsuda, Japanese Ambassador said Japan and Pakistan wanted to have mutual cooperation in the field of aviation, Press Information Department said.

Minister for Aviation thanked Japanese ambassador for enhancing the Fifth Freedom Rights quota in March 2019 from 1300 passengers to 4000 passengers per month and from 40 tons of cargo to 100 tons of cargo per month. Federal Minister for Aviation asked for the enhancement of Fifth freedom traffic rights capacity between Beijing and Tokyo from 4000 monthly passengers to 5000 monthly passengers and cargo capacity between Beijing and Tokyo from 100 tons per month to 200 tons per month for the designated airlines of Pakistan.

Air Services Agreement between Pakistan and Japan was initialed on October 17, 1961 and signed on July 12, 1962. The ASA stipulates single airline designation with PIA being the designated airline of Pakistan and JAL (Japan Airlines) being the designated carrier of Japan.

The existing bilateral arrangements as envisages in the agreed minutes of September 25, 1987 include for Pakistan 2 capacity units (B-767) via Beijing and 3 capacity unites via Southern routes. And for Japanese Air Line 5 capacity units.

Ambassador mentioned that Japan also wanted to invest in textile and vehicle industry.

He also said that Japan is also interested in Pakistan skilled manpower in the fields of industry, construction, agriculture, fishing, food and beverages and aviation industry.