Malaysian airlines still in good standing
Malaysian airlines still in good standing.
Individual Malaysian airlines are still in good standing, says the International Air Transport Association (Iata), an organisation that represents some 290 airlines that contribute to 82 per cent of global air traffic.
“We understand that the downgrade is with reference to the regulator, not the airlines, ” said Mr Albert Tjoeng, Iata’s Asia-Pacific assistant director for corporate communications in response to a query from The Star on how the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia’s (CAAM) downgrade affected the industry.
“A number of the Malaysia-registered carriers – Malaysia Airlines, Malindo, AirAsia, AirAsia X – have completed the Iata Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which has over 900 internationally recognised standards and recommended practices.
“We suggest the Malaysian government look at ways to utilise IOSA to complement its safety oversight, including making IOSA a requirement for an air operator’s certificate (AOC).” An AOC is the approval granted by a national aviation authority to an aircraft operator, to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes.
The certificate requires the operator to have the appropriate personnel, assets and systems in place to ensure the safety of both employees and the public.
Separately, Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali said the downgrade would not have a major impact on Malaysia Airlines.
