The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) have signed the first region-to-region aviation agreement named the ‘ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (AE CATA).’
The AE CATA will improve air connectivity between ASEAN and Europe, facilitating people-to-people and commercial relations while also promoting economic growth in both regions. Furthermore, the agreement will also facilitate ASEAN-EU collaboration in the areas of air safety and traffic control and environmental impact.
The AE CATA was signed after eight rounds of negotiations that began in October 2016. Negotiations for ASEAN was led by Singapore while the negotiations on behalf of the EU was led by the European Commission (EC). The agreement was first seeded during the EU-ASEAN Aviation Summit in Singapore in February 2014.
