South-east Asia should have one region-wide aviation regulator to ensure collective standards and safety regulations, according to the CEO of Air Asia Group.
Tony Fernandes said ASEAN should implement a single authority to streamline fragmented rules and end bureaucracy.
"It’s time for ASEAN institutions to step forward, for commonality and for standardisation, and for quality," said Fernandes.
"We should have one ASEAN regulator for air traffic, one ASEAN safety standard, one pilot training qualification, so there will be mobility of workforce.
"So ASEAN is not just about Open Skies, it’s about having some ASEAN standardisation and institutions to further advance the ASEAN aviation industry."
Airline safety and the often complicated approvals procedure in Indonesia have been in the spotlight following the crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 in late December.
ASEAN has long mooted a common ‘Open Skies’ policy which would effectively create a single aviation market, but the 10-member association has failed to find common ground on a number of issues.
