'Suasa Airlines misled the public'

The only reason the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) allowed Suasa Airlines to fly from Subang to Langkawi in Kedah last week was because the airline had claimed it was a non-commercial flight.

In his clarification, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Suasa Airlines does not have the Air Service Permit (ASP) or Air Service Licence (ASL) from the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) that is required to transport paying passengers.

Suasa Airlines only holds an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) granted by the DCA after passing technical inspections, he said.

"The government is taking this matter very seriously as they are breaking multiple laws at once. It is a breach of our airspace.

"When DCA received Suasa's application, it's just a point to point flight from Subang to KLIA, a non-commercial flight. When they applied to fly from KLIA to Langkawi, it's supposed to be a demonstration flight.

"But Mavcom received complaints that the flight to Langkawi was a commercial one. Flying commercially without the ASP and clearance from Mavcom is a very serious offence," Liow told reporters after launching the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and World Customs Organization (WCO) joint conference here, today.

He said Mavcom and the Royal Malaysian Police have both started their respective investigations on the airline since yesterday.

The minister was responding to questions on why Suasa Airlines was allowed to fly from Subang to KLIA, and then to Langkawi last July 22.

In a statement yesterday, DCA director-general Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman had said that Suasa Airlines Sdn Bhd had received a temporary approval from them on Dec 15, 2015, but not for the airline to operate a commercial flight.

Furthermore, the AOC was issued to Suasa Airlines, not 'Monspace Airlines' or 'Monspace Sky Airlines' as per the label on the Boeing 737-400 aircraft that was used for the flight last Friday. Having a different label on the aircraft automatically nulled the AOC.

Mavcom had also lodged a police report against the company for misleading the public by marketing itself as an airline, although it did not possess an ASL or ASP.

In their statement yesterday, the commission also advised consumers to refrain from making flight arrangements with the airline to ensure they do not face inconvenience in their travels.