The merger of the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) aims to streamline bureaucracy and enhance the efficiency of the civil aviation service delivery system, especially in licensing services.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said that through the merger of MAVCOM and CAAM, the aviation industry will no longer require two bodies to oversee the country’s civil aviation. “This single mechanism is also used in most countries that manage the world’s major air transportation sectors such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, and the People’s Republic of China.
“This merger will also optimize the use of existing human and financial resources while enhancing administrative efficiency and service delivery systems,” he said while presenting the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Dissolution) Bill 2024 for its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said that with the dissolution of MAVCOM, all functions of the commission will continue to be carried out and strengthened by CAAM.
MAVCOM was established on 1 March 2016 under the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 (Act 771) as an independent aviation commission responsible for regulating the economic and commercial aspects of the civil aviation industry and protecting the rights of air passengers in Malaysia, with the aim of making the country’s civil aviation industry commercially viable, consumer-oriented, and sustainable.
Meanwhile, Loke said that through the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Dissolution) Bill 2024, which focuses on the repeal of Act 771 and the dissolution of MAVCOM involving matters from Section 2 to Section 14, all applications or complaints received and not yet resolved by MAVCOM will be continued by CAAM.
In addition, he said that air traffic rights, Air Service Licenses (ASL), Air Service Permits (ASP), Aerodrome Operator Licenses (AOL), and Ground Handling Licenses (GHL) granted to airlines, airport operators, or ground handlers before the dissolution of MAVCOM will remain in force after being transferred to CAAM to ensure the country’s air services are not affected.
Section 9 of Act 771 aims to provide for the exemption of any license or permit held by an individual or any air traffic rights for domestic or international routes allocated to an individual before the effective date of the proposed act.
“The government is committed to the enactment of this bill to ensure the development of a modern, sustainable, safe, and efficient civil aviation sector,” he said.
