EU, ASEAN sign landmark aviation deal

0
205
global air traffic

https://www.interairport-southeastasia.com/en-gb/lp/exprom-2.html

The member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) on Monday (17 October) signed a Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (ASEAN-EU CATA) at the 28th ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting in Bali. The deal is expected to increase the number of flights and more destinations for travel between the two regions. Negotiations for the deal have been ongoing since 2016 and were concluded at the Extraordinary ASEAN-EU Senior Transport Officials Meeting in June 2021.

“The agreement will provide greater opportunities for airlines of ASEAN and the EU to operate passenger and cargo services between and beyond both regions, which will help bolster the recovery of air connectivity between the two regions following the COVID-19 pandemic,” the two groups said in a joint press release. “Passengers can look forward to a greater variety of destinations, more flight frequencies, and more travel options between South-East Asia and Europe,” the statement said.

Under the ASEAN-EU CATA, airlines of the member states will be able to fly any number of services between the two regions. Airlines of each country of one bloc will be able to fly up to 14 weekly passenger services and any number of cargo services to each country of the other bloc via any third country or beyond to any third country.

ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi called the ASEAN-EU CATA a “significant milestone in world aviation history” that would “strengthen air transport services, connecting people, cultures, and businesses across continents, as well as supporting the sustainable growth of aviation.”

European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said, “The agreement will help to support the aviation sector’s recovery post-COVID 19 and restore much-needed connectivity between our two regions, to the benefit of some 1.1 billion people, by enabling greater business, trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.”

The ASEAN-EU CATA will now undergo ratification in accordance with the respective procedures of the ASEAN member states and the EU and its member states.

ASEAN is a global economic powerhouse with a fast-growing aviation market. In 2019, it was the EU’s ninth-largest market for freight and the 16th-largest for passengers with more than 8 million travellers. Introducing a modern framework for air services between Europe and Asia, which opens up opportunities while ensuring high standards is therefore an investment in the future.


For Editorial Inquiries Contact:
Editor Matt Driskill at matt.driskill@asianaviation.com
For Advertising Inquiries Contact:
Head of Sales Kay Rolland at kay.rolland@asianaviation.com

AAV Media Kit
Previous articleVistara adds new route to Singapore; Vietjet to operate Vietnam-Kazakhstan direct services
Next articleREPORTS: Boeing offering MAX planes to Air India

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here