The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the European Union are close to concluding a comprehensive air transport agreement (CATA) between the two blocs after an eighth round of negotiations in Salzburg, Austria. When CATA Asean-EU is completed, it will ease the limits of air traffic growth on both sides to enable better connectivity while allowing both areas to expand and diversify their markets. CATA ASEAN-EU will be the first block-to-block agreement at the intercontinental level and will cover a wide range of progressive regulatory convergences: market access, security, security, air traffic management, social protection, consumer and environmental protection, fair competition, etc. This agreement is expected to help the ASEAN aviation industry in two respects. Eu and Indonesia sign agreements to promote air transport [IP/11/818, 30/06/2011] The agreement would remove existing restrictions on code-sharing agreements between air carriers of the states concerned and allow them to share the freely shared code on long-distance transport links and on regional and national networks of other states. This is expected to increase “point-to-point” traffic in both ASEAN and EU countries, which will strengthen the position of airports in both regions and create additional demand that could contribute to the creation of critical mass for new routes, including the reopening of abandoned routes during the pandemic. www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-12-06/asean-eu-air-transport-deal-near-completion The next agreement with ASEAN is the first such agreement between the EU and the Gulf country, just weeks after the European Commission signed an air deal with Qatar. The agreement, which contains fair competition provisions, is expected to be concluded before the end of the year. The strategy would also strengthen competition in the regional aviation market – improve efficiency and reduce costs. On the other hand, ASEAN countries may have to put in place cabotage principles that guarantee a minimum of holding domestic shares in foreign companies, and to develop and implement high standards of entry in areas such as security and security. Eu-Indonesia agreement on a horizontal agreement on air services [IP/09/1236, 17/08/2009] Economic and trade links are also at the heart of negotiations on a comprehensive EU-ASEAN Air Services Agreement (CATA).