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Industry / Licensing / Ground Handling Licence

Ground Handling Licence

A Ground Handling Licence (GHL) is required by any person who wish to carry out ground handling services in Malaysia. Refer to the Second Schedule of the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 [Act 771] on the list of ground handling activities that require a Licence issued by MAVCOM.

Every GHL includes specific legally-binding conditions on the services that the licensee is authorised to operate, the validity period of the licence as well as the conditions to which the licence is subjected to.

Successful applicants will be initially issued with a Conditional Approval, allowing the applicants to apply to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) for a Technical Approval (TA) for their proposed operations. A GHL will only be issued to the applicant who holds a valid TA issued by the CAAM.

For a list of Ground Handlers who have been approved by the Commission to provide ground handling services in Malaysia, please click here.

Applying for a Ground Handling Licence (GHL)

Any person looking to apply for a GHL should fill in and submit this form to MAVCOM via the AeroLicence portal, along with all relevant information listed in Attachment C of the GHL application form.

Applications are assessed by MAVCOM based on a range of criteria, including but not limited to the following:

  • whether the applicant is a company incorporated in Malaysia and is directly under the control of a Malaysian company as well as the ownership structure of the applicant;
  • demand for the specific ground handling services;
  • the existence of the same services in the airport, their efficiency and regularity;
  • the experience and competency of the management team of the company;
  • the feasibility of the proposed business plan; and
  • the financial viability of the business.

An application for GHL will require a minimum of 90 days to process. The Commission will only initiate the evaluation process of an application upon receipt of a complete submission together with the prescribed fees. An incomplete application may result in a delay for processing and possible rejection. The latest MAVCOM decisions relating to GHL can be found here.

In case where the Licence Holder fails to comply with any conditions imposed by the Commission on the Licence, MAVCOM has the right to make variations to, revoke, or suspend the existing Licence.

MAVCOM may award an GHL for a period of up to five (5) years.

Renewing a Ground Handling Licence (GHL)

The only exceptions are organisations which already have an ASL or ASP and run ground handling services solely for their own operations. In these cases, the GHL is typically valid for the same length as the Air Service Licence or Permit.

To renew your GHL, a written application should be submitted to MAVCOM including all information listed in Attachment C of the GHL application form.

Every holder of a GHL is required to provide regular financial and operational reports to MAVCOM as part of their licence’s conditions.

An application for the renewal of a licence shall be made at least 90 days before the date of expiry of the existing licence and shall be accompanied by the prescribed fees.

List of Ground Handlers by Location and Services


For the list of approved Ground Handlers, which includes the location and category of ground handling services, please refer to the List of Ground Handlers by Location and Services.