SEPANG: Malaysia is seeking to retain its position as an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) council member for another term, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong after having been elected to the position for five consecutive terms.
The Transport Minister said Malaysia had been a responsible and committed council member since 2007 and an exemplary contributor to the international growth and development of the civil aviation industry.
“We intend to retain our post. We have already announced our candidature for the position.
“Similarly, we are seeking support from other members and lobbying hard,” he told a press conference after attending the rebranding of Malindo Air to Batik Air and the launch of the Boeing 737-8 as part of the airline’s fleet yesterday.
Dr Wee said the last few months also saw him attending various aviation conferences and assemblies to obtain support.
“We want to show the world that the national aviation industry is committed.
“This can be seen with Malaysia also being one of the pioneer countries participating in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (Corsia) programme,” he added.
Dr Wee said he hoped Malaysia could retain the position based on its 15-year track record.
The ICAO’s 41st Triennial Assembly will be held in Montreal, Canada, in September.
Separately, Dr Wee said the initiative by Malaysia to utilise sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) was seen by the world, adding that there was still plenty of room for development.
“We know that conventional jet fuels will run out one day, and when this situation becomes a reality, we will need a solution,” said Dr Wee.
“That is why we began with the partial inclusion of cooking oil as part of the fuel source for a Malaysia Airlines flight last month, and this is a very good start.”
He added that SAF cost three times more than conventional jet fuel and discussions were being held globally in efforts to reduce its cost.
In June, 129 people flew from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on an aircraft – Malaysia Airlines flight MH603 – partly fuelled by cooking oil.
The flight operated on a Boeing 737-800 aircraft using a blend of 38% SAF and conventional jet fuel.
