Airlines in Asean to have stopover rights in all member states soon, says Loke

South-East Asian airline operators will soon be able to make stopovers in other Asean member nations, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke. This would be made possible by the implementation of Protocol 5 on Own Stopover Rights between Points within the Territory of any Asean Member State, he added. “Before this, Asean airline operators could only go to a particular destination and return to their original point of departure. Under Protocol 5, they can go to another point within other Asean member states (in the course of the same flight). For example, a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore will also be able to head to Bali in Indonesia,” he told a press conference after the signing of Protocol 5 on Friday (Nov 22). The signing is in conjunction with the 30th Asean Transport Ministers and 58th Senior Transport Officials meetings. Loke said the move will also boost regional air connectivity.<br/>