AirAsia says sorry for flight disruptions

 

AirAsia Malaysia says it is now operating with only 40 planes compared to almost 100 before the pandemic. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia says it has taken note of the recent flight disruptions and apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused due to the rescheduling of its flights.

The airline said it was forced to reschedule its flights due to the sharp increase in demand during the festive season.

AirAsia Malaysia chief executive officer Riad Asmat said several factors and unavoidable incidents resulted in delays that were beyond the airline’s expectations and control.

“We tried our best to ensure minimum impact to all guests and ensure that everyone can arrive at their respective destinations soonest possible and this included the launch of special flights to carry stranded passengers,” he said in a statement today.

He also explained that among the factors which contributed to the rescheduling of flights during the festive season were sharp rise in demand for domestic flights and the reopening of the country’s borders since April 1.

“AirAsia Malaysia is now operating with only 40 planes compared to almost 100 pre-pandemic.

“This is due to the long wait for aircraft maintenance facilities in Malaysia and the region before an aircraft that had not been in operation for a while can be declared safe to fly again, as directed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia,” he said.

Besides common damages and technical problems normally encountered during a routine inspection, Riad said there were also unforeseen incidents such as bird strikes, damage due to foreign objects and lightning strikes that resulted in between three and five planes having to be removed from the schedule during the period.

He also said AirAsia’s priority now was to minimise flight cancellations and ensure that all its passengers arrive at their destinations safely.

Any changes to the flight schedule would be notified to passengers via email and SMS to the number registered during ticket bookings.

The airline said customers could contact the live chat via the AirAsia Super App or visit the airasia.com website or the AirAsia service counter at the nearest airport. - FMT