SUBANG JAYA – Low-cost carrier MYAirline has admitted to errors in their judgment when they decided to suddenly halt their operations last week, affecting over 125,000 passengers, with bookings stretching to March of next year.
Speaking during a press conference at its offices today, interim accountable executive Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the company is also currently taking steps to ensure the airline’s recovery.
He pinpointed that the sudden nature of the airline’s 11th hour suspension of operations was due to investor withdrawal, as well as mentioning the lack of a contingency plan on the part of its management.
Azharuddin also said that the airline had received over 18,000 emails since Thursday (October 12) and that the staff are doing “its best” to expedite the refund process.
“I am pleased to inform you that we have also established a hotline today 038 966 2522, operating from 7am to 6pm daily for passengers to initiate the refund process, should they need assistance as well.”
He also acknowledged the airline’s communications shortcomings with both the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), specifically on their failure to engage with the authorities and passengers in a timelier manner before deciding to temporarily suspend operations.
“The abrupt action was taken out of a genuine concern for the safety of our passengers and employees on a flight that operated from Wednesday (October 11) night to early Thursday (October 12) morning.
“We issued the suspension notice at 5.30am on Thursday morning. While we promptly canceled the morning wave flights on Thursday, we acknowledge that some passengers on later flights were already at the airport, and this was an oversight on our part.”
On October 12, MYAirlines caught their passengers off-guard after canceling all 39 domestic flights and one international flight bound to Bangkok at the 11th hour, affecting over 5,000 passengers.
The airlines also extended their profound gratitude to Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) for its invaluable assistance during the period.
“Our appreciation also goes out to industry partners including AirAsia, Batik Air, Malaysia Airlines, FireFly, the airports of Thailand, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).
“We observed the efficient response of Mavcom and MAHB, who swiftly managed the situation by rerouting our affected passengers to alternative carriers.
“We are grateful for MAHB’s support, including the provision of meal and accommodation assistance to the affected passengers.
“Our highest appreciation and gratitude to Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook for his guidance and advice in finding the solution to this problem,” he said.
He said the airline has also been proactively addressing these issues through a series of meetings, with ongoing efforts to rectify errors and oversights in all areas as it strives to restore operations.
Azharuddin emphasised that the airline staff’s welfare remains their top priority, and that as soon as funding is secured, the airline will prioritise statutory payments and September salaries.
“It is important to note that all staff members remain under MYAirline employment, with no one being placed on unpaid leave or been terminated to date.
“We have met the Human Resources Ministry to update them on this matter.
“MYAirline has also initiated a Service Recovery Plan and Business Continuity Plan that will focus on improvements and increased accountability.
“A reprioritisation of objectives will also be done and announced once recapitalisation is completed.”
He also confirmed that Stuart Cross has resigned and is no longer the MYAirlines interim chief operating officer.
He further added that MYAirline is actively exploring strategic partnerships, having received several proposals.
“All these proposals are going through detailed evaluation and due diligence. It is important to note that discussions with lessors are ongoing to retain our aircraft.
“We will continuously provide timely updates to our staff and media as developments unfold.
“We are also in talks with our aircraft lessor in order to retain our aircraft.” – October 16, 2023