Eaglexpress seeks reinstatement of Air Service Permit

KUALA LUMPUR: Eaglexpress Air Charter Sdn Bhd, which claims it has lost RM30 million since the revocation of its Air Service Permit (ASP) by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) last December, has not applied for a new permit but instead appealed for its ASP to be reinstated.
Eaglexpress is a private, global umrah and haj charter operator based in Kuala Lumpur.
Mavcom revoked the charter operator’s ASP on Dec 20 for failing to comply with the specific conditions stipulated in the ASP, after the carrier left 250 umrah pilgrims stranded in a Nilai hotel, following the cancellation of their flights to Jeddah.
Nordin Abdullah, spokesperson for Eaglexpress, told SunBizthe air operator has appealed to Mavcom to retract the revocation notice with its justification and mitigating factors, such as financial implications, and is awaiting the commission’s response.
“We are expecting a positive outcome especially now that we have been able to demonstrate through our recent IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Certificate that we can meet International standards,” he said.

According to Nordin, Eaglexpress submitted its initial appeal on Dec 21, 2016, but following a request for supplementary information, another submission was made to Mavcom in the second week of January 2017.
However, a Mavcom spokesperson told SunBiz Eaglexpress will need to apply for a new ASP to resume operations in the country. No mention was made of the appeal from Eaglexpress.
“The ASP which falls under Mavcom’s purview, is entirely separate from the IOSA certification and, unlike the ASP, it is not a mandatory requirement for unscheduled airlines to operate in Malaysia,” said the spokesperson.
Should Eaglexpress intend to be a player in the civil aviation space in Malaysia, they will be required to apply for a new ASP with Mavcom,” she added.
Meanwhile, Nordin said Eaglexpress’ business has been seriously impacted following the revocation of its ASP, as its business with Saudi Arabia has been brought to a halt.
The company was incorporated in August 2011 and was granted its Air Operators Certificate and ASP to operate non-scheduled air services in August 2012.
Nordin also said that Eaglexpress does not have any overseas operations at the moment, despite claims to serve 19 destinations on its website.
As for its fleet, three aircraft are parked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, while one plane is stationed in Jakarta and is undergoing maintenance checks.