KUALA LUMPUR – The Transport Ministry is expected to table a bill on the proposed merger between the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, CAAM, into one entity during Parliament’s first sitting next year.
Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry is now making all the necessary arrangements to merge the two regulators into a single body for both technical and economic regulations.
“We need to amend both acts together, first to repeal the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 and to amend the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia Act 2017…,” he told reporters after gracing the Emirates and Batik Air Malaysia codeshare agreement, today,
“That is definitely a long process, not only in terms of amending the law but also combining the operations, our hope is that we can do it by next year.”
Commenting on the troubled MYAirline, Loke said the ministry is still investigating whether the low-cost carrier had gone through the proper procedure before being granted an initial Air Service Licence by Mavcom.
“That is something that Mavcom has to be answerable to and they have to be accountable in the process of granting the licence,” he added.
The Emirates-Batik Air Malaysia partnership will allow Emirates’ customers to access five Malaysian cities and three regional Southeast Asia points operated by Batik Air via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
In line with the agreement, Emirates will place its code on Batik Air-operated flights to Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Johor Bahru, Denpasar, Jakarta and Singapore, offering passengers travel using a single ticket.
Loke said the two airlines’ collaboration will pave the way for Malaysia to leverage every opportunity to establish KLIA as the primary aviation hub that enhances regional connectivity.
“This partnership serves as a testament to the boundless possibilities that lie ahead for the aviation industry in Malaysia,” he said. – October 23, 2023