Singapore - Asia and Europe need to harmonize security laws across borders to put an end to an "uncoordinated mess," Giovanni Bisignani, chief executive officer of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said Monday. While acknowledging the system is far more secure than after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, Bisignani told a conference that "passengers deserve much better leadership than the patch of different standards."
Bisignani was addressing the participants prior to Tuesday's start of the Singapore Airshow, with more than 800 companies from 42 countries.
"Shoes on or off? Laptop in or out? The answers are different at every airport," Bisignani said. "What message does that send to passengers?"
"The system is still an uncoordinated mess," he said. The Middle East is spending 38 billion US dollars on infrastructure to position itself as a global air hub, Bisignani said.
Dubai handles nearly as much traffic as Singapore's Changi Airport, he said. With 159 destinations, it is connected to 37 per cent more than the city-state.
Plans for a super airport at Jebel Ali depict the world's biggest, handling up to 140 million passengers a year, Bisignani said.
Citing rising fuel bills and a possible recession in the United States, Gisignani said Asia's aviation sector may fare better with the fast-paced growth of China and India.
He said the biggest challenges are in the areas of liberalization, security and environment.
"If Asia acts as a region, it can balance the traditional leadership of the US and Europe," he noted.
