After enduring several hours of waiting, with some who had been waiting since 4am, many passengers found themselves flightless at Malaysia's budget airport terminal on Oct. 12.
Empty MYAirline service counters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 greeted them instead of airport staff.
It turned out that MYAirline had suspended its operations effective on Oct. 12 until further notice, due to "significant financial pressures".
Indefinite suspension: MYAirline
The low-cost airline, founded in 2021, announced its "temporary" suspension at around 5:30am on its social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
"Significant financial pressures" had made it "necessary" for the airline to be suspended.
Now awaiting shareholder restructuring and recapitalisation, the company cited failed past attempts to find partners and solutions to raise its capital.
Being "unable to commit to any timeline", it is not known when the suspension would end.
The airline said that it would assist affected passengers and advised them to not head to the airport, instead seeking alternative travel arrangements to their destinations.
While the posts offered assistance if customers contacted them, it did not specifically mention possible compensation or refunds to passengers whose flights were cancelled.
'Wait like idiots': Disgruntled passengers
Many passengers were left "shocked" and "angry", as they had already arrived at the airport before the sudden suspension.
A commenter on X (formerly Twitter) @puteriibalqiis complained that she had been waiting at KLIA since 4am to check in for her 7:30am flight, but all the MYAirline counters were closed with not one staffer to be seen.
She said,
“They were all empty. The passengers were all waiting like idiots.
Please refund me. I was forced to buy a ticket to return to Kota Kinabalu urgently. Many others have been affected like me, even (the elderly)."
Another X user @anisazzwa said, “Crazy, shutting down operations like shutting down a grocery store.”
Our airport staff at KLIA T2 are currently assisting passengers affected by the MYAirline flight cancellations. Passengers are advised to contact the airline directly at customercare@myairline.my. pic.twitter.com/j2NP1Ie2cS
— Malaysia Airports (@MY_Airports) October 12, 2023
Rival airlines come to passengers' and staff's rescue
Rival local airlines, including AirAsia and Batik Air, offered alternative flight options later during the day on Oct. 12 to MYAirline's affected passengers.
Batik Air, formerly Malindo Air, offered special fares for "stranded MYAirline passengers" flying to certain locations within Malaysia and Bangkok too, valid until Nov. 30.
Meanwhile, AirAsia is giving a 50 per cent discount on base, one-way fares to affected travellers for flights between Kuala Lumpur and cities including Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Bangkok, Free Malaysia Today reported.
AirAsia has offered to hire MYAirline staff.
Malaysia Airlines has also offered MYAirline to transfer the affected passengers to their available flights.
For those who urgently need to travel, Malaysia Airlines has also offered a 55 per cent discount on the base fare of their flight tickets up to Nov. 2023.
MYAirline CEO quit due to 'health reasons'
Founded since Jan. 11, 2021, MYAirline officially began its maiden flight to Kuching, Malaysia, on Dec. 1, 2022, according to Berita Harian.
From its website, flight destinations comprised mostly cities in Malaysia, as well as Bangkok and Don Mueang. It has no operating flight to and from Singapore.
On Oct. 8, MYAirline co-founder and CEO Rayner Teo resigned due to "health reasons", Malaysiakini reported.
Recently, MYAirline was mired in allegations over unpaid staff salaries, late payment to service providers, and difficulties to raise funds for new aircraft leases, according to The Edge.
You can view MYAirline's suspension notice here:
Top image from MYAirline/Facebook.
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