Kuala Lumpur vows change after FAA downgrade

Malaysia’s civil aviation authority has requested a reassessment from the US FAA, as it vows to make “serious changes” to address apparent shortcomings. The move comes as the FAA downgraded the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to Category 2, following an audit in April. The country has held a Category 1 rating since 2003. The lowered rating means that CAAM does not meet ICAO safety standards, the FAA says. “[The CAAM] is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, and/or inspection procedures”, adds the FAA. Consequently, Malaysia’s carriers will not be able to start new services into the US. Both the CAAM and FAA stress that the rating was not of Malaysia’s airlines, but of the CAAM itself. <br/>