KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines and Firefly have both achieved registration in the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in July 2024.
This marks the 10th year of registration for Malaysia Airlines and the first successfully completed audit for Firefly as an IOSA-registered airline, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) said in a statement today.
The registration for both airlines is effective immediately and will remain valid until 2026.
The audits for both airlines were conducted in Jan and Feb 2024, covering eight operational areas including organisation and safety management systems, flight operations, flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, ground handling, cargo operations, and operational security.
MAG group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said this milestone is particularly significant as it marks Firefly's initial registration as an IOSA-Registered airline, showcasing the continuous dedication to ensuring a safe operating environment for its organisation. "As safety and security are fundamental to our values, we will continue to rigorously review and enhance our processes to meet the evolving trends of the aviation industry, while ensuring that we continue to provide safe and reliable service to the global communities we serve," he noted.
IATA regional vice president for North Asia and Asia-Pacific (ad interim) Dr Xie Xingquan congratulated both Malaysia Airlines and Firefly on successfully completing this very rigorous audit, demonstrating their strong commitment to safety.
"IOSA is making a difference in the industry. Since 2005, the accident rate of IOSA airlines is almost three times better than non-IOSA airlines. "And the transition to a risk-based model makes IOSA an even more powerful tool to help airlines and regulators to maintain and improve very high levels of safety performance," he said.
As an initial registrant, Firefly was subject to the conventional method of audit conducted by an IATA accredited audit organisation (AO).
Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines renewal registration followed a thorough risk-based IOSA (RBI) audit of the airlines' operational safety conducted by IATA auditors.
The RBI audit focuses on potential safety risks specific to each airline, moving away from a one-size-fits-all methodology, and provides a comprehensive evaluation of an airline's safety systems and programmes.
The IOSA programme is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess an airline's operational management and control systems.