On Monday (October 17) in Bali, the twenty eighth ASEAN Transport Ministers’ Meeting, chaired by the Indonesian Minister of Transport, signed a Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement between member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union and its Member States (“ASEAN-EU KATA” ).
The agreement covers the exchange of traffic rights between each regions and more comprehensive cooperation in the sphere of aviation safety and security, air traffic management, consumer protection, in addition to social and environmental issues. The agreement will even open up more air transport opportunities and improve direct connections between the 2 regions, while raising the extent of rules and standards for flight data.
“This first-ever inter-bloc air transport agreement takes the EU-ASEAN aviation partnership to a new level. It will support the aviation sector’s recovery from Covid-19 and restore much-needed connectivity to the benefit of approximately 1.1 billion people, enabling greater exchanges for business, trade, tourism and people-to-people. It replaces over 140 bilateral air services agreements, providing a single set of rules and reducing bureaucracy. It also gives us a new platform to work together towards our shared commitment to economically, socially and environmentally sustainable aviation.” said Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean.
Once the aviation agreement is signed, all EU airlines will have the ability to operate direct flights from any airport within the EU to all airports in ASEAN countries and vice versa for ASEAN airlines. This will help EU and ASEAN airlines compete with competitors targeting the lucrative EU-ASEAN market.
Airlines will have the ability to right away operate as much as 14 passenger services per week to and from each EU member state and any variety of cargo services through each regions and beyond to any third country (“fifth freedom traffic rights”).
The agreement was signed by Singapore’s Permanent Secretary Loh Ngai Seng, Secretary-General of the Indonesian Ministry of Transport, Novie Riyanto, European Commission Director-General for Mobility and Transport, Henrik Hololei, Czech Ambassador, Jaroslav Dolecek, and ASEAN Secretary-General, Dato Lim Jock Hoi.
In the presence of ministers and representatives of delegations of ASEAN member countries, in addition to ASEAN dialogue partners akin to Japan, South Korea, the European Union and China.
The agreement comes into force upon signing today. In the following step, the parties will begin the ratification process in accordance with their procedures for the agreement to enter into force.
Source: European Commission, ANTARA News
