IT had seemed like an impossible task. Workers’ morale was at an all-time low, while staff turnover was as high as it had ever been, with eight out of 11 division head positions sitting vacant. The task was made harder when the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to Category 2 status — a ranking that prevents Malaysia’s airlines from launching new routes or adding new flights to the US.