Malaysian carriers form association to fight fee increases

A group of 7 Malaysian carriers have formed a group—the Association of Malaysian Air Carriers (AMAC)—to “provide a common platform to discuss issues affecting the industry,” following the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) announcement that it plans to revise the fees of several services. Included in the proposed new charges is a tenfold hike in air navigation flight charges—including Malaysian airspace usage, pilot flight licensing and air traffic management facilities. The DCA said the proposed carrier fee increase is partly driven by a need to comply with ICAO’s Aviation System Block Upgrades global air traffic management system. AMAC said it was formed to “represent common industry interests amongst institutions such as the Ministry of Transport, Department of Civil Aviation and the Malaysian Aviation Commission.” <br/>