KUALA LUMPUR: The decision to allow AirAsia Group Bhd to resume its domestic flights was made due to demands by the public, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
This decision, he said, was not exclusive to AirAsia as other airlines had also been given the nod to fly domestic flights since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced in March.
"I am sure they (AirAsia) have received the permission (to fly) from the Transport Ministry and besides, as I've announced before, all domestic flights have been operating from the Subang Airport.
"Firefly and Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) have been operating its domestic flights all this while and since they only fly to Sabah and Sarawak once a week, the additional flights by AirAsia will be able to cater to the demands.
"We received many requests from the public and now, we will have additional flights to cater to all," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
Although there will be additional flights for Malaysians to travel domestically, Ismail Sabri reminded that as long as the MCO was still in place, people must follow the existing standard operating procedure (SOP).
"All SOPs remain the same. You must have the permission slip from the police in order to fly and if you go to Sarawak, as usual, you will have to go through the compulsory 14-day quarantine," he said.
Yesterday, AirAsia executive chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun said that the low-cost carrier would resume its scheduled domestic flights in Malaysia.
He said it would then be followed with Thailand on April 30, Indonesia on May 7 and the Philippines on May 16.
Kamarudin said the resumption of services would initially be for key selected domestic routes, to be increased gradually.
This, he said, would include international destinations around the region once the situation improved and various governments lifted borders and travel restrictions.
AirAsia and its long-haul arm AirAsia X Bhd grounded most of their fleet and suspended flights on March 28 as travel demand dropped due to the Covid-19 outbreak and cross-border travel restrictions.