Singapore, EU bolster aviation cooperation amid pandemic
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) will collaborate to create common standards so as to promote safe air travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Singapore (VNA) –ღ The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) will collaborate to create common standards so as to promote safe air travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a joint statement on July 22, CAAS and Easa said that a memorandum of cooperation they signed will boost traveller confidence to facilitate the recovery of air travel between Singapore and Europe. It will cover several measures, such as the implementation of physical distancing, enhanced hygiene measures as well as more intensive cleaning of facilities. The cooperation is the first of its kind in Asia. The agreement will also see CAAS and Easa support the participation of Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) in the Easa Aviation Industry Charter, which promotes guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19. CAAS Director-General Kevin Shum said the collaboration is timely and crucial in supporting the aviation industry's efforts to tackle issues caused by the pandemic. Easa Executive Director Patrick Ky said the cooperation was a significant step forward in increasing passenger confidence in flights between Europe and Singapore. In a separate announcement the same day, CAAS and Changi General Hospital (CGH) signed an agreement to team up in establishing a civil aviation medical examination centre at Changi Airport. The centre will provide Singapore aviation licence holders, such as pilots and air traffic controllers, convenient access to various medical services, including medical examinations, fitness evaluation and aeromedical review, among others./.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its regional arms SilkAir and Scoot will operate at approximately 7 percent of its scheduled capacity in August, up from 6 percent this month.
Singaporean scientists have developed an improved COVID-19 test kit that can deliver results more quickly, halving the processing time from about four hours to less than two, according to The Straits Times.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Singapore Changi Airport (Photo: www.straitstimes.com) 
