Speaking at the AAPA’s 57th Assembly of Presidents in Hong Kong this November, AAPA director general Andrew Herdman said the association had already broadened the geographical definition of the Asia Pacific region similar to that of the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) to include India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.

While India has not been directly approached by the AAPA, in part because the carriers there tend to be more domestic in nature and those that do serve international routes have largely been preoccupied by domestic infrastructure and regulatory issues. But Herdman noted the association will be making direct entreaties soon.

Herdman also said that AAPA is “very keen” to get major mainland Chinese carriers on board, noting that two Chinese carriers are already members – Cathay Pacific and Dragonair. “We have good relations with CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) and CATA (China Air Transport Association),” adding that a few Chinese carrier’s participated in the assembly this year.

One of the problems is the fact that the majority of their business is still domestic in nature. “The domestic market is so large, second only to US, and typically its been more lucrative than their international operations where they face fierce foreign competition from all the foreign carriers as well.

“But if you look at the international league tables they are steadily climbing up, they’ve joined the alliances, they’ve had a taste of what the regulatory challenges are internationally and the same reasons that bring the AAPA member airlines together would apply equally to the Chinese carriers as they shift their attention to meet their international ambitions. So in that sense we very much welcome them as full members,” Herdman added.

Asia finding its voice?

Martin Eran-Tasker, AAPA technical director noted that traditionally developing countries, Asia in particular, have tended to take a quieter, more passive role in international regulatory affairs although he notes this changed somewhat at the recent October ICAO General Assembly during which the European Union’s controversial Emmissions Trading Scheme featured prominently.

“It was unusual at ICAO to see developing countries being so forthright and outspoken and that is a very positive development especially when you’re seeing the Asian region taking on a bigger leading role,” Eran-Tasker said. “It may be the thin edge of the wedge and I think it’s a starting point. In the past they’ve been more reserved on issues. It’s still early days, but I would expect to see more alignment in future, more willingness to work together to speck out on issues.”

That particular meeting saw the EU sharply rebuked over its ETS proposal by the vast majority of ICAO who defeated it with a 96-39 vote. Instead the ICAO members adopted a resolution to agree a global market-based mechanism to reduce aviation emissions at its next general assembly in 2016, with implementation from 2020.

Herdman added: “Even after all the efforts at the 38th ICAO Assembly to reach a landmark global agreement to develop a market based measure to address aviation emissions, the recent EU proposal to extend the EU ETS to European airspace has been met with a mixture of incredulity and disbelief.

AAPA is absolutely convinced that the interests of Asia Pacific carriers, and the industry as a whole are best served by supporting a global solution, not a patchwork of national or regional schemes that will only distort the market.”

“A clear message was given to the EU that what they were proposing was not what the rest of the world wanted and yet two weeks later they make announcement that the ETS is going ahead. It’s as if they have selective amnesia, as if they were not there,” Eran-Tasker said, adding that this could reignite threats of a trade war that had been in the air last year.

AAPA’s important role

The importance of a united Asian voice was also underscored by chairman of the Cathay Pacific Group, John Slosar who highlighted that AAPA as an organisation is very important for the development of aviation in Asia because of the region’s leading role in global aviation in terms of fleet, passengers and cargo.

Asia must have a voice in shaping aviation policy and I submit to you that AAPA should be that voice,” Slosar urged. Noting that AAPA’s “clear and strong voice” was projected more clearly than ever 2013, particularly around the International Air Transport Association (IATA) discussions of its carbon-neutral growth strategy by 2020, or CNG 2020, in the lead up to the ICAO assembly.

“AAPA was involved, informed and proactive,” in engaging in the debate, he said. “And AAPA was always vocal as they needed to be and was committed to working towards a fair deal for the global industry, but even more importantly for the Asian airlines.”

Slosar went on to urge the AAPA members to get more involved, because “more involvement means a more positive role in shaping future global aviation policy,” he said. “Aviation needs that, Asia needs that. Asia is important in aviation and our voice must be heard.”

Leading up to ICAO meeting he said AAPA’s role was “not only contributory to the debate, it was decisive. Without the voice of AAPA in that debate what we would have had in IATA and in ICAO would have been different and it would have been worse – it was different because AAPA was active and engaged in that debate. In my view 2013 was AAPA’s finest hour – we really did get involved and we really did what we said we wanted to do, and that was to shape global aviation policy.

Among the business conducted in Hong Kong by the AAPA membership were resolutions on the environment, aviation infrastructure, passenger facilitation, passenger rights and taxation.

The members also passed a resolution on air cargo security supporting the development of harmonised air cargo advance screening methods and urging governments to refrain from from imposing extra-territorial security measures and instead favour mutually recognised cargo security regimes on a multilateral or bilateral basis.

AAPA’s 57th Assembly of Presidents was hosted by Dragonair in Hong Kong.