AirAsia chief wants Asean regulator

AirAsia supremo Tony Fernandes has called for the establishment of a common regional regulator for civil aviation within the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc.

“I think it is a high time for us to have an Asean DCA (Department of Civil Aviation) with common standards applicable to all 10 member countries rather than having 10 different versions,” the chief of Asia’s largest low-cost carrier group told the Bangkok Post.

The Asean regulator would be equivalent to the European Aviation Safety Agency, an EU agency with regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety.

The creation of a regulator could be considered as part of the bloc’s aspiration to set up the Asean Single Aviation Market (Asam) for the liberalisation of air transport in the region.

Also referred to as the Asean open skies policy, the Asam should be in place by the time the Asean Economic Community (AEC) takes effect late this year.

“This does not mean each Asean country should not have an individual DCA but [an Asean DCA would be] a body above that so that our aviation standards can be the best,” Mr Fernandes said.

Thailand has been red-flagged by the International Civil Aviation Organization for its safety shortcomings.

Indonesia and the Philippines have encountered similar issues in the past.

According to new research conducted by the CIMB Asean Research Institute in conjunction with the National University of Singapore, the Asean DCA could take the form of a joint aviation committee comprising member states’ civil aviation authorities.

Eventually, it could become an independent administration altogether.

The regulator could legislate harmonised technical standards relating to air traffic management, safety, security, customs, immigration and quarantine.

Cross-border enforcement should be facilitated so that an inspection conducted by one authority can be recognised as valid by the other authorities.

Mr Fernandes said he had received mixed reactions to his idea.

“Some positive, some negative, some a little bit fearful because they would be losing power of their own,” he said.