The Highways of Air and Outer Space Over Asia

Book excerpt: The nineties will be a turning point for international air transport and for space activities. Trends in civil aviation and outer space policies show the need to join forces to promote common interests, leading to the strengthening of the 'region' as a basis of co-operation. As international air transport benefits from progressive liberalization at the same time ever greater regional co-operation between governments as well as between airlines is emerging. The European Communities offer a most interesting example of both trends, provoking similar initiatives in other areas of the world, among them East Asia. With respect to commercial space activities, more especially those in the field of space transportation, a similar need for regional and even world-wide co-operation is arising. In order to contribute to the promotion of a balanced regional approach in both civil aviation and outer space activities, the Graduate Institute of European Studies at Tamkang University and the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University organized a major international conference, entitled The Highways of Air and Outer Space Over Asia, in May 1991. The present work is the result of that conference. It is a collection of articles by the most qualified academics and practitioners from Asia, North America and Europe, covering topical subjects in the field of international civil aviation and outer space activities such as regulatory reform, aviation safety and security, liability in international air transport, the future Euro-Asian aviation relationship, the commercialization of outer space and cooperation between Europe and Asia with respect to outer space activities with special emphasis on the relationships between Asia on the one hand and Europe and the United States on the other.