Addressing the 190th ICAO Council Meeting

President of the ICAO Council, His Excellency Mr. Roberto Kobeh-Gonzalez<?xml:namespace prefix = o />

Secretary General of the ICAO, Mr. Raymond Benjamin, Council Members

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Afternoon

1.    It is indeed an honor and privilege for me to be given such an opportunity to address the Council. I thank you for giving me the time to say a few words.

Malaysia’s Commitment In International Civil Aviation

2.    Malaysia has always been committed to the implementation of policies and initiatives of ICAO, particularly in the areas of safety and environment.

3.    In the area of Air Navigation Safety (ANS), Malaysia has embarked upon strategic ANS modernization programmes, involving the sate-of art technology that complies with international standards and procedures. This has brought about the state-of-art radar coverage of almost the entire Malaysian airspace, making Malaysian airspace as one of the safest in the region.

4.    On top of that, in the interest of capacity and efficiency, Malaysia has continuously embarked on initiatives to implement all of ICAO’s capacity-enhancement programmes. The latest implementation of the Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) into KL International Airport is a case in point, designed to realize the potential Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions savings of 10 kilo tones and potential savings of almost USD 2 million per year. The impetus for Malaysia is that, efficient use of airspace achieved from improved
Air Traffic Management allows for a significant reduction of airline operating cost, thus facilitating increased traffic handling and optimum use of technologies.

5.    On the policy front Malaysia has signed Air Services Agreement (ASA) with 94 countries, of which 19 are very liberal arrangements – a reflection of Malaysia’s pursuit of a more progressive and liberalized air transport policy.

6.    Infrastructure wise, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) is currently operating international and 18 domestic airports. The KL International Airport (KLIA) alone was serving foreign carriers, handling around 30 million passengers and almost 600,000 metric tones of freight in 2008. In addition, a Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in KLIA started operation in 2006. The Malaysian Government was quick to recognize that the new business model being pioneered by low-cost operators in the region requires a matching change in the provision of the supporting physical infrastructure. Correspondingly, a Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was built at KLIA in 2006 to cater for the low-cost operation in the region.

7.    Over the past 3 years, the rapid increase in low-cost operations had further seen the need for a third terminal and runway to be built and scheduled for completion in 2012. At present, this is going to be an added competitive edge in turning KLIA into the hub of low cost carrier operation in the region. Malaysia is the home of AirAsia, Asia Pacific’s pioneer and the largest low-cost carrier that started operations in 2001 as a domestic carrier and has since expanded rapidly. The Government of Malaysia has recently given traffic rights to AirAsia X, a subsidiary of AirAsia, to operate long-haul budget flight services to Europe, Australia, China and India, thus making air travel more affordable and accessible to a wider segment of the populace.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Malaysia’s Role in ICAO

8.    Since Malaysia’s accession to the ICAO in 1958, it has contributed significantly to the work of ICAO. Malaysia has honoured its annual contributions and also contributed significantly to many of ICAO initiatives. In addition, Malaysia has rallied forward to nominate its experts to participate in numerous Regional ICAO Task Forces. Notably, in support of ICAO’s safety audit programmes, Malaysia has, since 2006, provided a long-terms seconded auditor for the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) until its completion in 2010 and will remain committed to embarking on the new Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA). Prior to this, Malaysia had also previously contributed an auditor for the ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP).

9.    Broadly speaking, Malaysia steadfastly believes that human capital development and standardization of training of aviation personnel are vital to achieve ICAO’s goals of enhancing safety and efficiency of international civil aviation. The new aviation training facilities at the Malaysia Aviation Academy (MAVA) started operations in 2009. Over the past 21 years, under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP), more than 380 Air Traffic Controllers from 56 countries have been trained at the Civil Aviation College, fully sponsored by the Malaysian Government. This year, without fail, Malaysia offers 30 fellowships in air traffic control courses. Malaysia Airport Training Centre is an ICAO’s training facility for Aviation Security and more than 800 participants from 47 countries have been trained there.

10. Recognizing the essence to strengthen regional and sub-regional cooperation, Malaysia has actively participated and contributed in various panels and meeting, particularly at the Asia Pacific Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APANPIRG) level.

Ladies and Gentlemen

11. Malaysia strictly adheres to international treaties and protocols such as the Chicago Convention and has been continuously implementing the ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and procedures, particularly those related to safety and security. Malaysia has ratified and incorporated SARPs and guidance material established by ICAO in its national laws and regulations. Malaysia was satisfactorily audited under the ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) and remains fully supportive of the audit programme.

12. In addition, Malaysia has consistently maintained a Category-One Rating after being assessed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States in its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) audit. This is a reflection of the significance and level of commitment attached to its regulatory roles by Malaysia. It also serves as a benchmark for investors’’ confidence in Malaysia’s air transport industry.

13. In terms of regional collaboration, Malaysia will continue to strengthen its ties with all the regional countries. We are hopeful that together with the collaboration and commitment of my Asia Pacific colleagues, we could ultimately realize the goal of establishing the Asia-Pacific Regional Body.

Ladies and Gentlemen

14. I understand that the Council’s time is precious and I know you have many issues to discuss. Once again, Mr President, Distinguished Council Representatives, thank you for giving me this opportunity to be here. I hope you will have fruitful meeting and it would be a great pleasure to see all of you at the reception at 5.30 pm today.

Thank you.