KUALA LUMPUR – In a surprising turn of events, a Malaysia-based carrier that took off less than a year ago, abruptly ceased its operations, leaving passengers stranded and seeking explanations.
The airline named MYAirline cited “significant financial pressures” as the reason behind the sudden suspension of services, which sent shockwaves across the aviation industry.
Passengers expecting to fly on Thursday were caught off guard, discovering the airline’s closure only when attempting to check in for their flights.
The closure was so abrupt that at Kuala Lumpur International, all MYAirline check-in counters were shuttered, devoid of any airline personnel.
Stranded travelers were left with no choice but to purchase new tickets though MYAirline later released a statement expressing regret for the abrupt shutdown and explained that immediate “service recovery options” couldn’t be provided.
“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,” the airline’s board of directors stated.
To assist affected passengers, AirAsia has stepped up, offering 50% discounted recovery fares on select routes, including Langkawi, Penang, Tawau, Kota Bharu, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu-Tawau, and both Bangkok airports.
Transport Minister of Malaysia, Anthony Loke, strongly criticized the abrupt closure, deeming it unacceptable and detrimental to the country’s reputation. He disclosed that the airline had sold 125,000 tickets, amounting to around 20 million ringgit ($4.2 million), for flights slated until March 2024.
“We were caught by surprise and totally shocked,” Loke said during a news conference.
“They didn’t inform us. They just stopped operating with no airline staff at the airport. How can you just disappear like that? This is highly irresponsible,” he said and added that government will ensure that ticket-holders are refunded.
Although the closure was portrayed as abrupt, experts are now connecting the dots that the closure was written on the wall.
The airline is owned by businessman Allan Goh Hwan Hua and just two days ago, CEO Rayner Teo, who has a 2% stake in the carrier, stepped down, citing health reasons.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Aviation Commission instructed MYAirline to immediately halt sales and bookings of flights, and said refunds must be paid.
The closure’s intensity was huge as Malaysia Airports, which manages the country’s airports, said some 5,000 passengers were affected Thursday as 39 flights to local destinations and one to Thailand were canceled.
