‘CAAM will regain Category 1 status within 24 months’
PUTRAJAYA: The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) is confident of regaining its Category 1 Aviation Regulator status within 24 months from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
CAAM chairman Captain Ahmad Ridzwan Mohd Salleh yesterday told a press conference the downgrade was a result of FAA’s review of CAAM in April this year.
“The assessment covers eight elements, which constitute an aviation safety oversight system.
“These are primary aviation legislation: specific operating regulations, state civil aviation system and safety oversight functions, technical personnel qualification and training, technical guidance, tools and the provisions of safety-critical information, licensing, certification, authorisations and approval obligations, surveillance obligations and resolution of safety concerns.”
Present were CAAM members of authority Professor Datuk Razali Mahfar and Afzal Abdul Rahim.
Ridzwan said at the time of the audit, FAA listed its findings and CAAM took immediate and considerable steps to rectify them.
“By July, the majority of the findings were closed. However, in our view, a substantial number of findings were either ambiguous or undetermined.”
Afzal said CAAM complied with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s standards and during FAA’s audit, had scored 92.7 per cent out of 300 questions asked.
“Based on calculations, 7.3 per cent, or 33 areas, are outstanding.
“There is ambiguity over certain issues. But the key thing is there is feedback and we will be making changes. At the end of the day, FAA pointed out shortcomings on our part.”
He said once CAAM addressed the 33 areas, it had no doubt that it would regain its Category 1 status, which was secured in 2003, between 12 and 24 months from now.
He said CAAM was of the view that there were only 22 outstanding issues, which left 11 issues deemed ambiguous.
Afzal said this was the first time that CAAM had been downgraded to Category 2.
A Category 2 International Aviation Safety Assessment rating means that CAAM is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, and/or inspection procedures.
To regain its Category 1 status, he said FAA must be convinced to conduct a reassessment exercise on the regulatory body.
On whether CAAM would expect audits to be done by other countries after FAA’s audit, Afzal replied in the affirmative.
On improvements and changes expected to take place in CAAM in the next two to three years, he said they would range from human resources to finance, and that it had initiated its strategic transformation initiative.
On why CAAM did not inform Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of its downgraded status, he said it had related the matter to the Transport Ministry.
Asked if the latest development would affect the codesharing arrangements licensed by CAAM, Afzal said CAAM was still waiting for feedback.