MALAYSIA will seek clarification from the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the safety ratings downgrade of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said Malaysia has proven itself in handling its aviation sector, including in managing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) as well as other international airports.

On these grounds, the prime minister said it was unfair for FAA to downgrade CAAM.

“We want to know why we have been downgraded and what will be the impact of the downgrade.

“If they say we are incompetent, we have shown that KLIA is among the top 20 airports in the world.

“In fact, we have been handling the international airport in Turkey. That is not a small matter. More than 31 million people use that airport, which we manage.

“And even now we have others inviting us to manage their airports,” he told reporters in Pekan Nenas today.

The FAA had conducted a International Aviation Safety Assessment programme on Malaysia in April.

It announced earlier this week that it had downgraded the CAAM air safety rating for failing to meet international safety standards.

The FAA said CAAM had failed to meet the safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and as such received a Category 2 rating.

The assessment applies to the aviation authority, not the airlines or airports, but it means airlines licensed by CAAM will not be able to add new routes to and from the US.

The only Malaysian airline that flies to the US directly is AirAsia X Berhad, to Honolulu, Hawaii via Osaka, Japan. – November 14, 2019.