Comprehensive air transport pact inked between Asean and European Union 

THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the European Union (EU) on Monday (Oct 17) signed a Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement between their member states (AE CATA) after negotiations on the agreement concluded in June 2021.

Representing the world’s first bloc-to-bloc air transport agreement, the AE CATA will allow airlines of both Asean and EU to fly any number of passenger and cargo services between both regions.

Airlines of each country per 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 with fifth freedom traffic rights. This can be done via, or beyond to, any third country.

Singapore’s Ministry of Transport said travellers will stand to benefit from direct access to new destinations as a result of the agreement, with more flights between major Asean and European hubs as well as a greater network of flights between and beyond the two blocs.

It added that the agreement also provides for cooperation between Asean and the EU in areas such as aviation safety, air traffic management, consumer protection, and environmental and social issues.

Asean transport ministers have also agreed to sign the Asean Agreement on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Cooperation, which aims to raise the level of coordination among Asean member states on suspicious activity report (SAR) activities in addition to the Asean Search and Rescue Standard Operating Procedures which were adopted in 2018.

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Hailing the AE CATA as a strong testament of region-to-region collaboration, Transport Minister S Iswaran highlighted the agreement as a “forward-looking and ambitious statement of (Asean and the EU’s) commitment to a safe, sustainable and resilient aviation future”.

During his speech at the signing of the AE CATA, Iswaran described the agreement as unparalleled in breadth and scope.

“It covers a combined international aviation market of more than 1 billion people across 37 countries, spanning well-established hubs to the expanding airports in both Europe and South-east Asia,” he said.

“We are not just making the usual commitments in opening market access, but also creating an institutional structure for long term cooperation in important areas like aviation safety, air traffic management and sustainability”.

He added that signing of the Asean Agreement on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Cooperation will enhance SAR cooperation in the region.

“Singapore will continue to work closely with our EU and Asean partners to achieve these goals for the benefit of our people and economies,” said Iswaran.

Both agreements were signed following the conclusion of the 28th Asean Transport Ministers’ Meeting and associated meetings with Asean Dialogue Partners, which took place in Bali on Oct 16 and 17, 2022.