Malaysian Low-cost carrier MYAirline has announced it will suspend its operations from Oct 12, 2023, until further notice due to "significant financial pressures" pending a shareholder restructuring and recapitalisation of the airline. In a press release , it said ,
MYAirline regrettably announces the suspension of its operations effective 12 October 2023 until further notice. The airline has come to this extremely painful decision because of significant financial pressures that have made it necessary to suspend operations pending the shareholder restructuring and recapitalization of the airline.
In a statement from the Board of Directors, MYAirline said that shareholders and MYAirline will be working tirelessly to resume operations as quickly as possible but are unable to commit to any timeline.
"We deeply regret and apologize for having to make this decision as we understand the impact it will have on our loyal passengers, dedicated employees and partners. We have worked tirelessly to explore various partnership and capital raising options to prevent this suspension. Unfortunately, the constraints of time have left us with no alternative but to take this decision."
Passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) T2 were seen having a tough time due to the sudden announcement , as their service and sales counters at are currently closed.
However, it is being learned that Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) is offering assistance to MYAirline passengers affected by the current development of flight suspensions.
Additionally , the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) said in a separate statement it has set up dedicated hotline and channels to assist customers affected by the suspension of MyAirline's operations.
The aviation commission also said MYAirline is still liable to refund consumers who have purchased tickets from the airline but are unable to travel.
MYAirline press release read that it's commited to the assistance through this sitaution,
We understand the inconvenience this may cause, and we are committed to assisting you through this situation. Kindly reach out to us at customercare@myairline.my, and our support team will be readily available to provide their assistance. In the meantime, we are advising affected passengers to not head to the airport and seek for alternative travel arrangements to their destinations.
Meanwhile, MYAirline has also been instructed by the Commission to immediately discontinue the sale and booking of flights from all booking platforms until further notice.
"The commission is in close communication with MYAirline in addressing this issue. "Meanwhile, the commission is currently investigating the airline based on internal reviews and complaints received regarding the airline’s unpaid statutory payments to its employees, amongst others," it said.
Mavcom’s dedicated channels are also in place to assist all affected consumers:
MYAirline is hopeful for a comeback but unable to specify the time period , for now atleast ,
The Board, shareholders and all of us at MYAirline will be working tirelessly to resume operations as quickly as possible but at this stage we are unable to commit to any timeline. We reiterate our sincerest apologies for any difficulty and inconvenience arising from this suspension and will do our utmost to provide any updates which become available.
In another development , AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd. group chief executive officer Bo Lingam said the company is also considering to hire MYAirline's staff to join its Allstars family.
"We recognise the talent and experience of MYAirline's staff and would like to extend a helping hand."
"We're pleased to consider hiring eligible and qualified individuals from MYAirline who share our passion for the industry and are willing to contribute their skills and expertise to our team," Bo said in a statement.
