In a Joint Declaration adopted last month in Singapore at the end of a successful two-day EU-ASEAN Aviation Summit, the European Commission and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) proposed to take aviation cooperation to a new level by negotiating a comprehensive air transport agreement between the EU and ASEAN. The Summit brought together some 300 political and business leaders including a number of EU and ASEAN Transport Ministers.
Over the two days leaders discussed the rich opportunities in the EU and ASEAN aviation markets and the benefits which both the EU and ASEAN stand to achieve from greater market access and integration in air services and the aviation industry, cooperation to enhance the efficiency of air traffic management and harmonisation of safety and security standards, amongst others. In particular, the Summit noted these and more potential benefits that the peoples and companies of both regions could enjoy from a comprehensive air transport agreement between the EU and ASEAN.
Air traffic between the EU and ASEAN has been growing steadily in recent years and has nearly doubled over the last 15 years to reach more than 10 million passengers in 2012. With a combined population of 1.1 billion, the EU-ASEAN air transport market is of increasing strategic importance to both sides with an expected average growth rate of five per cent per year over the next 20 years.
Half of the world's traffic growth over the next 20 years will be to, from, or within the Asia-Pacific region, which will become the world leader in air traffic by 2030 with a market share of 38 per cent. ASEAN, with its rapid economic development and rising incomes, will be at the very centre of this development.
The HUB Daily spoke to Dr Alan Khee-Jin Tan, Professor of Aviation Law, National University of Singapore, during the recent Routes Asia forum in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia to learn a little more about the landmark agreement and what it really means for the industry.
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