Joint Support for the Recovery of the Civil Aviation Sector

1.     The inaugural Changi Aviation Summit (CAS) 2022, themed “Readying for take-off: A brighter & cleaner tomorrow”, brings together global aviation leaders and senior executives in Singapore. The summit, held from 17 to 18 May 2022 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, is jointly organised by Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

2.     At the summit, Transport Ministers of Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore and the Kingdom of Thailand affirmed their support towards the recovery of the civil aviation sector. Recognising the impact of the pandemic on the global transport sector, the Transport Ministers have pledged to take action for collaboration on areas such as sustainability, capacity building, and safety among States.

3.     Please see the below document, “Joint Support for the Recovery of the Civil Aviation Sector”.

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We, the Transport Ministers of Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore and the Kingdom of Thailand, on the occasion of the inaugural Changi Aviation Summit, 

Recognizing the significant impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on the global air transport sector;

Noting the various actions taken by States, individually and collectively, to address the challenges brought by COVID-19 to civil aviation stakeholders and operators;

Acknowledging the resulting effects on the economic and social development, and the disruption to connectivity in the region and beyond;

Recalling the agreement at the 15th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (15th AHMM) in May 2022 to work towards a mutual recognition agreement on COVID-19 health certificates to facilitate smooth international travel, while protecting the data privacy and security of each ASEAN member state;

Do hereby:

Support collaborative action among States, international organizations, industry and relevant stakeholders, to work closely to rebuild and restore air travel connectivity and the civil aviation sector urgently; 

Facilitate the development of the ASEAN Single Aviation Market through the expeditious implementation of our commitments on Air Transport Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services, the ASEAN Air Navigation Service Master Plan, and the mutual recognition of COVID-19 health certificates; 

Strengthen air connectivity between Southeast Asia and other regions, especially through instruments with ASEAN Dialogue Partners. In this regard, we welcome the conclusion of the ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (CATA), which was the world’s first bloc-to-bloc air transport agreement;

Urge the continued exchanges and consultations between the transport, public health and immigration authorities, to support resilience, and facilitate cross border air travel and movement of people safely and efficiently;

Encourage the development of a common set of public health and safety measures to protect the well-being and safety of travellers and transport workers, to ensure the highest level of safety in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices and maximize the potential benefits of regulatory cooperation and convergence in our region;  

Intensify regional and international cooperation to promote, share and implement sustainable practices, including environmentally sound technologies, the enhancement of human and institutional capacities, and the promotion of sustainable consumption and production patterns; 

Seek the further exchange of information and best practices amongst States and industry, to build greater knowledge and for contingency actions that would minimize disruption to cross border air travel; and

Promote training and capacity building to support the recovery and growth of the civil aviation sector and the well-being of civil aviation workers.

Adopted on 17 May 2022, in Singapore.