At a meeting today at ABACE 2014 in Shanghai, members of key business aviation associations updated attendees on the core Statement of Principles for Business Aviation approved by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministers in September.

International Business Aviation Council director general Kurt Edwards explained the statement’s three principles: business aviation operators should have the freedom to fly within the region; permit requests should be processed in a timely manner; and private operators should be treated as on-demand operations, not as airlines. In signing the guidelines, Edwards noted, “The ministers recognize these principles and agreed to urge their various agencies to treat business aviation in a manner that is appropriate to that operation.”

GAMA senior vice president of international and environmental affairs Ed Smith said the signing in September was the first step. “The hard work lies ahead,” he added. “That is under way with follow-up meetings of working groups of APEC to put meat on the bones of these principles and start implementing them and have some ideas about how to move forward.”

APEC holds meetings twice a year, and the next one is set for August in Hong Kong. NBAA vice president of safety, security, operations and regulation Doug Carr encouraged business aircraft operators, especially those in the Pacific Rim, to participate in this effort by working with their regulators.