KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has experienced a significant number of Return to Chock (RTC) incidents in 2024, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke
In a written reply to Khairil Nizam Khirudin (Perikatan-Jerantut) presented in Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Oct 23), he stated that 181 such events required planes to return to their parking spots on the runway.
"For the previous year, there were 248 RTC incidents and 13 Air Turn Back (ATB) incidents. This year, up to October, we have recorded 181 RTC and 18 ATB incidents," Loke said.
An RTC order is given when an aircraft encounters an issue that necessitates its return to the parking spot, while ATB refers to an aircraft having to return to the airport of origin after takeoff due to emergencies or abnormal situations, such as engine failure or medical emergencies, he added.
Khairil had asked about the steps taken to ensure that Malaysia Airlines retains its competitive edge and reclaims its status as the nation's leading airline.
Loke added that MAB has undertaken numerous measures to regain customer confidence, including the publication of performance results on its website.
"From April, we have introduced on-time performance (OTP) targets of 85% for flights from our airports, which will be extended to other carriers and involve other Malaysian airports," he said.
Loke then said that the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) conducted surprise inspections on MAB and MAB Engineering Services (MABES), which uncovered various technical issues and a shortage of skilled maintenance workers.
He added that from these findings, a plan was enacted to enhance aircraft safety and reliability.
"MAB's efforts also encompass the acquisition of new aircraft to boost passenger trust," Loke said.
He further said that the CAAM audit led to the period for renewing the Air Operations Certificate (AOC) being shortened to one year from three, effective September 1, 2024, until August 31, 2025.
"This means airlines will be audited more frequently before their AOC is renewed to ensure compliance with the mitigation strategies," he added.
