An air travel boom in the region’s emerging markets is on the horizon, with airline leaders meeting at an exciting time as the pandemic has passed and regional economies are set for rapid growth in the coming years, Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) Chief Executive Officer Captain Sabirin bin Haji Abdul Hamid said.
He said this at the welcoming reception of the 68th Assembly of Presidents of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), organised by RB yesterday.
Captain Sabirin described the assembly as more than a meeting – it is a chance to exchange ideas, collaborate and guide the industry towards a brighter future, with decision that will impact Asia-Pacific and beyond.
He said, “Despite challenges like geopolitical tensions, supply chain issues, high costs and workforce shortages, air travel in the Asia-Pacific is mostly back to pre-pandemic levels, with ASEAN member countries over 90 per cent recovered and strong domestic and international traffic, though international routes are slightly behind.”
He added that strong economic growth in countries like China, India and Southeast Asia is boosting demand for air travel, as shown by airlines expanding into new markets and previously unserved regions.
Environmental sustainability, he added, is also a top priority, with increasing efforts to switch to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and advance net-zero goals.
“We see various SAF policy developments underway in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan and Australia. These strategies range from mandates to incentives and therefore, we need to continue this dialogue with the key decision makers to not only encourage SAF production but adopt the right policy framework to enable airlines to achieve Net Zero.”
A key focus will be aviation sustainability with a panel of experts representing airlines, airports, aircraft producers, governments and SAF suppliers, who will discuss the path to carbon neutrality, prior to airline leaders considering assembly resolutions to be announced at the close of the event, he added.
“Brunei is an ideal setting for the assembly this year. Its rich natural habitat provides an inspirational backdrop to discussions on how air travel of the future could look. As we embark on the 68th Assembly of Presidents, we are focused on what lies ahead, with the lessons of the past four years serving as a springboard for discussions on the future of air travel in the world’s largest aviation market,” said AAPA Director General Subhas Menon.
Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha officiated the opening ceremony.
Themed ‘Jetting into 2050 – Future-Proofing Asian Aviation’, the assembly will assess the industry’s recovery and the challenges to continued growth, including the ongoing supply chain issues affecting the timely delivery of aircraft, engines, components and parts. – Lyna Mohamad
