MALAYSIA’S air safety rating in the US has been restored to category 1 after all 33 issues raised by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were resolved, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said.

According to Wee, the issues initially picked up by the FAA in 2019 did not reoccur and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) was able to resolve 29 of them in December last year, in the span of just six months.

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

“The past two years have been a crucial period for the CAAM as the whole organisation was restructured, the workforce and documentation strengthened, and it has developed a comprehensive training policy for the inspectors,” he said today.

Wee is currently on an official visit to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

According to Wee, a category 1 air safety rating means Malaysia’s civil aviation authority complies with Icao safety standards.

“With an International Aviation Safety Assessment 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 Icao 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,” he added.

With Malaysia regaining category 1, Wee said the country will be able to charter more flights or open new flight routes to the US, further boosting economic and tourism opportunities for Malaysia.

In November 2019, Malaysia was downgraded to category 2 after the FAA due to non-compliance with 33 safety standards. – Bernama, October 1, 2022.