PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) continues to allow airlines to retain their current portfolio of Air Traffic Rights (ATR) without the risk of expiry, in line with the commission’s ongoing efforts to support the needs of aviation players that are facing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mavcom eased the condition which automatically revokes unutilised ATRs within six months from the date of the ATR approval. This flexibility has been in effect since June 5, 2020 and was implemented to facilitate the administrative and regulatory challenges of airlines as well as to enable them to keep their current ATR portfolio active.
For the second quarter (Q2’21) spanning April 1 to June 30, the commission approved 100% of ATR applications. A total of 10 ATR applications were received and of this, five ATR allocations were for international routes, while the remaining five were for domestic routes.
ATR applications in Q2’21 saw a 58.3% reduction from Q1’21 as well as a 11% reduction compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
Of the 10 ATR approvals for Q2’21, MyJet Xpress Airlines Sdn Bhd received the highest number of approvals, totalling seven ATRs. AirAsia X, Malindo Airways Sdn Bhd and World Cargo Airline Sdn Bhd followed with one ATR approval each. World Cargo Airline Sdn Bhd converted its Air Service Permit (ASP) to Air Service Licence (ASL) effective from April 1 and is the latest ASL holder for the cargo segment. ASP applies to unscheduled journeys while ASL applies to journeys with a fixed schedule.
Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Saripuddin Kasim said the commission is committed to finding ways to assist industry players in these challenging times, so that they can survive the global pandemic and focus on continuing full services in the near future.
“Apart from the ATR expiry flexibility, we also extended the moratorium on the enforcement of the Quality of Service Framework as well as the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016. At the same time, we are encouraged by the continued healthy growth shown by the cargo segment,” he said in a statement.
Source: The Sun Daily
