KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign-registered aircraft in the country may not be allowed to be chartered following a review of regulations by the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM).
The announcement was made by CAAM in its review of Regulation 147 of the Civil Aviation Regulation 2016 (CAR 2016) following the tragic incident involving a Beechcraft 390 private jet registered in the United States with the identification N28JV, resulting in the loss of 10 lives in Shah Alam in August last year.
Additionally, a US-registered Airbus EC120B helicopter, operated by a pilot with an FAA pilot's license, had crashed in Bidor in September 2022, resulting in the pilot's death.
In the helicopter crash report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), the board had recommended that CAAM investigate its oversight deficiencies concerning the training of FAA license holders operating in Malaysia.
Therefore, CAAM said the review of Regulation 147 is to ensure safety risks are mitigated and implementation is effective.
"It will also include the introduction of a few other provisions to provide the industry and stakeholders options for their continuous operations.
"The review of CAR 2016 will not only affect the foreign-registered, but also those of locally-registered aircraft under general aviation," it said.
While waiting for the amended regulation to take effect, CAAM said it will conduct more unannounced ramp inspections and surveillance at airports where these foreign-registered aircraft normally operate.
"This is to ensure that these foreign registered aircraft while still maintaining foreign registration, are also bound by CAAM requirements and oversight capability.
"This buffer period will end on July 26," it said.
Currently, Regulation 147 of CAR 2016 stipulates that the owner or controller of an aircraft registered in a foreign country used in any general flight operations operating in Malaysia could fly the aircraft for a maximum period of six months.
This however could be extended with the approval of the regulator.