[UPDATED] US FAA restores Malaysia’s air safety ranking to Category 1

KUALA LUMPUR – The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has restored Malaysia’s air safety ranking to Category 1 after 33 issues were resolved.

This comes after the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has fulfilled standards set by the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said in an online press conference today the achievement allows Malaysia’s carriers the ability to have flights on additional air routes.

Also present is CAAM CEO Datuk Captain Chaster Voo. 

With Malaysia regaining Category 1, Wee said the country will be able to chart more flights or open new flight routes to the United States, boosting economic and tourism opportunities for Malaysia.

“With an IASA Category 1 rating, a country’s air carriers can establish service to the US and carry the code of US carriers. To maintain that rating, a country must adhere to the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) safety standards.

“Meanwhile, a Category 2 rating means the country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or its civil aviation authority is deficient in one or more aspects, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping or inspection procedures.”

Wee said the issues brought up in 2019 by the FAA did not reoccur and 29 issues were resolved by the CAAM during the assessment last December.

“By mid-July this year, the FAA returned for a reassessment and CAAM had completed all responses for the 29 findings and all corrective action plans were closed.”

Wee is currently on an official visit to the ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada, where he met with his counterparts from other countries to discuss technical cooperation.

In November 2019, Malaysia was assigned Category 2 in its air safety rating under the IASA programme by the FAA due to non-compliance with the ICAO safety standards.

The assessment found that CAAM had 58 findings in total, 25 of which were able to be resolved while 33 remained open, which led to the air safety ranking downgrade during that year. – The Vibes, October 1, 2022