Mavcom denies telling AirAsia to axe GE flights, lodges police report

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has denied AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes' claim it tried to force him to cancel the additional 120 flights the airlines provided to enable Malaysians to travel home to vote in last week's polls.

In fact, Mavcom is claiming the opposite, stating that it approved up to 66 additional flights the budget airlines had applied for on April 23.

"The commission categorically refutes the accusation that it told AirAsia Berhad to cancel all 120 additional flights applied for by AirAsia during the 14th general election period.

"The commission had in fact approved all 66 additional flights which were applied for by AirAsia on April 23, 2018.

"The commission has never issued any directive to AirAsia or any other airline to reduce or cancel any flights where regulatory requirements are met," it said in a statement today.

It also "categorically refutes that any AirAsia staff were summoned at all material times" to appear before the commission regarding this matter.

Mavcom said it viewed the accusations level against them by Fernandes in his apology video as "baseless and malicious" and has lodged a police report.

The video was Fernandes' attempt at damage control after AirAsia received brickbats for ferrying then caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, who had been campaigning in Sabah, onboard a BN-themed plane complete with air stewards garbed in blue uniforms instead of the airline's signature red.

In the video released on Sunday, the AirAsia group CEO apologised to Malaysians for his "foolish" act which he claimed was an attempt to relieve the airlines from intense pressure placed on it by the government.

This, after it failed to fire vocal AirAsia X chairperson Rafidah Aziz, who had been campaigning for Pakatan Harapan, and for introducing 120 affordable new flights during the election period.

Fernandes had alleged that within 24 hours of introducing the additional flights, it had been "summoned" by Mavcom and instructed to cancel the flights.

Mavcom responded on Sunday, stating it was investigating the claim.

In its statement today, the commission explained it had on April 17 and 18, approved AirAsia's application, made via the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), for 27 additional return flights to be operated during the election period, encompassing a maximum volume of 13,660 passengers.

Mavcom said this was followed up by another application for an additional 43 return flights on April 20, which the airlines itself later revised to 66 additional flights, or 33 return journeys, three days later.

This, too, Mavcom said, was approved.

"Inclusive of AirAsia, the commission approved additional flight application of the various Malaysian-based airlines as of April 24, 2018, totalling 166 flights (83 return journeys with a maximum volume of 26,434 passengers)," it said.

However, it explained that its executive chairperson RMAF (Rtd) Abdullah Ahmad had asked all airlines to clarify if there was sufficient demand for these additional flights.

It added: "The commission further reiterates that it had not issued any directive to any airline to reduce or cancel any flights. Only AirAsia proceeded to reduce its application for extra flights while Firefly, Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air maintained their requests.

"In light of the stated facts of the matter, the commission views Tan Sri Tony Fernandes’ accusation against Mavcom of informing AirAsia to cancel '120 extra flights which would have carried 26,000 people on top of our normal flights' as baseless and malicious."

It denied ever having exceeded its power, as stipulated by the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015, but instead insisted it had acted "promptly" to facilitate the airlines’ activities for the GE14. -Mkini