Sept. 23, 2014
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Working Group members made a commitment to the business aviation industry at a recent meeting in Hong Kong, when the working group agreed to launch a project to develop more data about business aviation activity in the region.
The study will attempt to define the number of based aircraft, the airports currently used by business aircraft operators and the specific aviation infrastructure used by business aviation in the region, among other data points. NBAA worked with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), an APEC member, to identify additional projects that would benefit business aviation in the region. At the recent meeting, DOT offered the proposed study among other work projects, which were agreed to by APEC members.
“We are hopeful this study will provide a clearer view of business aviation activity in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Doug Carr, NBAA’s vice president of regulatory and international affairs. “We know business aviation has grown substantially in the region, but we have little data to develop a baseline. A basic picture of the current business aviation environment is critical.”
The study could set the stage for further research on the economic impact of business aviation in the Asia-Pacific region, and provide baseline data to conduct safety trend analyses.
“The APEC Transportation Working Group’s decision to conduct this study is encouraging, as it is consistent with core principles for business aviation approved by APEC last year,” said Carr. “Last year, the APEC transportation ministers agreed to a set of core principles that recognized the value of business aviation, and we believe this will aid in the continued development and expansion of business aviation in the region.”
NBAA and other aviation groups worked with APEC officials to ensure the guidelines lead to a safe, secure and standardized regulatory regime.
“We are anxious to continue our work with APEC as the study begins,” said Carr.
APEC has 21 member economies: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taipei, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. The goal of APEC is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.