KUALA LUMPUR, 16 October 2023: Three days before MYAirline suspended all operations, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia awarded the airline a two-year extension of its Airport Operator Certificate.
The airline announced on 9 October that the AOC extension “signifies a thorough evaluation of MYAirline’s operations, including but not limited to maintenance, crew training, safety protocols, and organisational management.”
Three days later, on 12 October, the airline suspended all operations, leaving at least 5,000 passengers stranded at airports in Malaysia and an estimated 125,000 passengers who are now demanding refunds.
MYAirline suspended all fights to eight domestic destinations from its home base in Kuala Lumpur and its sole international service to Bangkok, Thailand (twice daily); one flight to DMK and the other BKK airports.
Commenting on the AOC extension and a New Straits Times opinion column on Sunday, 15 October, thundered: “This stinks. It is not about an errant airline disappearing into thin air without informing the authorities, but about how the ministry, the Malaysian Aviation Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia let such companies enter the airline business in the first place.”
Just days before the financial collapse, the airline’s CEO Rayner Teo, who holds 2% of the company’s shares, resigned, citing health reasons. Chief Operating Officer Stuart Cross replaced him as interim CEO.
On Friday, Malaysia’s Bernama news agency commented that MYAirline Sdn Bhd, which suspended operations last Thursday, was “exploring all avenues to reactivate its operations and fly the skies again.”
Zillion Wealth holds 88% of the airline’s shares, with Trillion Cove Holidays having 10% and former CEO Rayner Teo the remaining 2%. They are hoping to inject fresh capital to get the airline airborne again.
Since the collapse, the airline posted an apology on its website to all passengers and aviation agencies affected by the suspension.
“On behalf of MYAirline, we would like to express our deep regret about the recent event and how it impacted all our passengers,” said the interim accountable executive, Dato Sri Azharuddin. “We are currently expediting the refund process and would like to kindly request your patience as we are handling a high volume of over 12,000 e-mails. MYAirline is also in the process of establishing a hotline to assist our affected passengers better.”
To facilitate the refund process, passengers must provide their booking number (PNR) and e-mail the airline at [email protected].
Regarding employment status, he noted that MYAirline personnel are still under full employment… “We have not placed anyone on unpaid leave.”
The airline’s only international service to Bangkok started on 28 June with two daily flights – one heading to Don Mueang Airport (DMK) and the other to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).
Both AirAsia and Batik Air are offering rescue tickets discounted heavily for MYAirline passengers who were stranded at airports or needed ticketing to complete their return home from domestic destinations and Bangkok.
