S'pore, Brunei sign open skies pact
S'pore, Brunei sign open skies pact
SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore and Brunei on Saturday signed an open skies agreement allowing their airlines unrestricted routing, frequency and capacity between and beyond both countries, officials said.
The open skies pact, signed here by Singapore's Communications Minister Mah Bow Tan and his Brunei counterpart, Pehin Zakaria Sulaiman, is the first among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), officials said.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Earlier this year, Brunei and Singapore set the pace towards liberalization of air services in the region by being the first two Asian countries to conclude open skies agreements with the United States.
"Today, we are about to take another step in the same direction by signing the first open skies agreement within ASEAN," Mah said before placing his signature on the agreement.
Currently, Singapore Airlines operates seven weekly passenger services to Brunei while Royal Brunei Airlines operates 17 services to Singapore with three services going beyond to Calcutta, Dubai and London.
Mah said that the bilateral pact effectively granted Singapore Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines unrestricted market access.
He said liberalization on a bilateral basis presently offered the best prospect for more competitive air services because open skies on a multilateral basis was not expected to come about immediately.
"Different countries are at different stages of development, and have their own views about an open skies regime. These concerns need to be taken into account before multilateral open skies can be achieved," Mah said.
Brunei's minister Pehin Zakaria hoped other ASEAN members would also embrace the open skies concept.
"We look forward to a time when we can share this concept of open skies with our colleagues and partners in ASEAN," he said.
Pehan Zakaria said Brunei planned to emerge as a service hub for trade and tourism by 2003 by developing its international airport as a distribution center for cargo and passengers for the East ASEAN Growth Area.
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are developing the growth zone to boost investments and trade under an ASEAN sub-regional project.