Our Head of Client Services Sally Morrison represented Aspeq at the 61st Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation, Asia and Pacific Region (DGCA/61), held at the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur and hosted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
DGCA/61 brought together aviation leaders from across Asia and the Pacific under the theme "Smart Skies: Emerging Technologies for Safe, Secure, Sustainable and Efficient Aviation", a conversation about how innovation and new technology are reshaping the future of air transport, without losing sight of safety, security and sustainability.
Celebrating the Pacific Family
While in Kuala Lumpur alongside the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAANZ), Aspeq was proud to host the Pacific Function, bringing together delegates and colleagues from across the region for an evening celebrating the connections that underpin Pacific aviation. The event was a great success, reflecting just how deep those relationships run.
Kane Patena (Director of CAANZ) and Hamish Findlay (Aspeq’s Chief Executive) spoke at the function, thanking everyone for making the time to attend and reflecting on the importance of the Pacific community continuing to show up for one another. It was a timely reminder that behind the technical papers and formal agendas, DGCA is fundamentally about relationships — the trust and familiarity built over years that make regional cooperation possible when it matters most.
For Aspeq, hosting this function is about more than hospitality. It's a chance to reinforce our own long-standing commitment to the Pacific aviation community and to invest in the connections that help the whole region move forward together.
Smart Skies, Shared Direction
The conference theme resonated well beyond the plenary sessions. As regulators and industry across Asia and the Pacific grapple with how to safely integrate new technologies, from automation to data-driven oversight, the same questions Aspeq works through with clients every day were front and centre: how do you adopt innovation without compromising safety and rigour? How do you build systems and processes that are both efficient and defensible?
It's a parallel that isn't lost as Aspeq's own work sits at that same intersection, helping clients strengthen their safety and compliance systems while staying ready for what's next. Conversations like those at DGCA/61 are a valuable reminder that the fundamentals don't change even as the tools do: strong governance, clear oversight and genuine collaboration remain the foundation that any "smart" advancement has to be built on.
Looking Ahead
Aspeq extends its thanks to CAAM for their generosity and for hosting a well-run and thought-provoking conference, and to CAANZ and everyone across the Pacific delegation who made the Pacific function such a memorable evening. These gatherings are a reminder of why Aspeq continues to invest time and energy in the region, because progress in aviation, smart or otherwise, is built on the strength of the relationships behind it.
We look forward to carrying these conversations forward and continuing to support our clients and partners across the Pacific as the industry evolves.
