Asia og flysikkerhet - En asiatisk løsning som EASA eller FAA kan være tiår unna i Asia - Curt Lewis

ASEAN air safety regulator may still be decades away

It could take Southeast Asia, one of the fastest growing air travel markets, two decades to set up a regulatory body to oversee safety in an industry blighted by disasters in recent years, say national regulators and airline executives.

BANGKOK: It could take Southeast Asia, one of the fastest growing air travel markets, two decades to set up a regulatory body to oversee safety in an industry blighted by disasters in recent years, say national regulators and airline executives.

The need for tougher regulations gained urgency following this month's report by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) into the crash of an Indonesia AirAsia A320 passenger jet last year that killed all 162 on board.

Investigators found no single cause for the crash, but listed a combination of factors including a glitch-prone rudder component and pilots' response when things went wrong.

The 200-page report has been hailed as a potential turning point as pressure grows for stronger regulation to keep pace with rampant growth in aviation in Southeast Asia.