This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on November 13, 2019

PUTRAJAYA: AirAsia X Bhd’s (AAX) current air service to the US is not going to be affected by the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) downgrade of Malaysia’s aviation system, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said. But the low-cost carrier will not be able to increase flight frequency and add new destinations in the US until Malaysia regains its Category 1 FAA rating.

AAX currently operates seven flights a week from Kuala Lumpur to Honolulu, Hawaii, via Osaka, Japan.

“The existing flights to Honolulu will continue,” CAAM board member Afzal Abdul Rahim told a press conference yesterday.

However, Malaysia Airlines Bhd  is not so lucky. According to Afzal, the national carrier’s code-share agreements with US-based carriers will be affected. “We are still awaiting further clarifications [from the FAA] whether that means existing code-share agreements [or new ones]. The code-share arrangements [with the US] that will be affected are Malaysia Airlines’’,” he added.

In a separate statement, the national carrier said: “This [FAA downgrade] may or may not affect Malaysia Airlines’ existing code-shares to/from the US with several partner airlines, subject to the respective airline’s own assessment/consideration.” Malaysia Airlines currently flies to the US through its oneworld partners, which include American Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and its affiliate Cathay Dragon, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan Airlines. Malaysia Airlines said it, together with the rest of its sister companies under Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd, will give its full support to the CAAM to regain the Category 1 rating.

“Malaysia Airlines maintains the highest safety standards as certified by the International Air Transportation Association’s Operational Safety Audit, which has been continuously and successfully re-certified since 2005.

“Malaysia Airlines also holds the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and FAA maintenance organisation approvals. Malaysia Airlines and the rest of its sister companies consistently subject themselves to various audits to ensure they are on a par with international best practices in all aspects of safety management,” it added.