CAPA head of analysis: Fragmentation and misalignment are major issues for aviation regulation

CAPA - Centre for Aviation head of analysis Richard Maslen, speaking at The Aviation-Event 2026 Germany, stated (03-Feb-2026) the biggest problem for aviation related to regulation is fragmentation and misalignment. Mr Maslen said: "Aviation is global by nature, but regulation is national, politically influenced, slow to evolve and often reactive rather than strategic". He said this leads to inconsistent passenger experiences, duplicated costs and innovation being deployed in pilot programmes rather than at scale. He added: "The problem isn't regulation itself - it's regulation that hasn't kept pace with digital transformation".