PUTRAJAYA: A surprise audit by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) on Malaysia Airlines Bhd and the company responsible for maintaining its aircraft, MAB Engineering Services (Mabes), uncovered problems ranging from lack of skilled workers for aircraft maintenance, all the way to a shortage of parts.

Arising from the findings of the audit that took place at the end of June, the regulator has shortened the air operator certificate (AOC) for Malaysia Airlines from three years to one year only, said the Transport Ministry.

At a press conference here yesterday, minister Anthony Loke said Malaysia Airlines will have to provide monthly reports to CAAM, with the reports detailing the implementation of mitigation measures outlined by Malaysia Airlines themselves following the recent CAAM audit.

Responding to the slew of service disruptions connected to technical issues that led to severe delays and flight cancellations, Loke said Malaysia Airlines will have to undergo another audit before its AOC expires.

“Reducing the renewal period (from three to one year) also ensures Malaysia Airlines will have to implement the necessary measures as outlined in the mitigation plan,” he said, adding that 63 of the 411 skilled workers at the Malaysia Airlines’ engineering department had also left the company since January.

“Malaysia Airlines has outlined a mitigation plan with an emphasis on ensuring aircraft safety to improve its reliability, and recruitment programmes will also be carried out aggressively,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is viewing the current situation seriously, and had also chaired a meeting with Khazanah Nasional’s board on Tuesday.

Khazanah is the sole shareholder of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and Amal.

“The Prime Minister had instructed Khazanah to carry out immediate mitigation measures which will be relayed to the Malaysia Airlines management for further action,” he said, reiterating that CAAM will continue monitoring all airlines operating in Malaysia to ensure safety and security.

“All airlines must abide. There is no compromise when it comes to passenger safety,” he said, adding that the CAAM report was also presented to the Cabinet.

When asked if Malaysia Airlines would require financial support from Khazanah following the airline’s move to shrink its network, Loke said it would depend on discussions between both entities.

“There will definitely be a financial impact (for Malaysia Airlines) as cutting operations will affect revenue.

“Financially, they are in a good position now but if they need any support from Khazanah, they have to discuss it with them (Khazanah) as it’s not under the Transport Ministry’s purview,” he said.

On Aug 22, a MAS flight heading to Madinah had to return to KLIA, marking the third such incident this month.

According to FlightRadar data, MH152, which departed KLIA at 2.23pm, turned back while flying over the Nicobar Islands in the Andaman Sea.

A day earlier, Shanghai-bound MAS flight MH386 was forced to turn back to KLIA due to cabin pressure issues.

On Aug 20, MH128 en route to Kuala Lumpur from Melbourne had to make an emergency stop at Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territories.

Last week, former transport minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong urged the Transport Ministry to immediately investigate and assist Malaysia Airlines to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/29/audit-uncovers-multiple-problems-plaguing-malaysia-airlines