After guilty plea, Suasa Airlines fined RM380,000

Suasa Airlines pleaded guilty under Section 36 of the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 [Act 771]) for carrying passengers for hire or reward on a non-scheduled journey between Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi without a valid ASP.

In a statement today, the airlines said that matters relating to the issuance, suspension and revocation of an Air Service Licence (“ASL”) and ASP come within the scope of responsibility of MAVCOM since its establishment on 1 March 2016.

Airlines that do not possess a valid ASL or ASP are not permitted to perform a commercial air service operation in Malaysia. For an entity to operate a commercial airline business, it is required to hold both an ASL or ASP issued by MAVCOM and an Air Operator Certificate (“AOC”) issued by the Department of Civil Aviation.

On 22 July 2016, MAVCOM rejected Suasa Airlines’ application to operate a non-scheduled commercial flight from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi as it did not possess a valid ASP. However, on the same day, Suasa Airlines continued to operate this flight as a “demonstration flight”.

The Commission then proceeded to conduct a thorough investigation on the matter which was then brought up to the Attorney General’s Chambers (“AGC”). Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas, Head of General Crimes and Public Order Unit together with Afzainizam Abdul Aziz prosecuted.

“MAVCOM would like to stress the importance of complying with the laws and regulations, which is a fundamental requirement for participation in the industry.

It is necessary for airlines to have all regulatory approvals in place before operations, as required not only by Malaysian laws but according to international standards and practices.