AirAsia slams Malaysia Airports for stifling fair comment

KUALA LUMPUR — AirAsia has hit back at Malaysia Airports for muzzling its right to fair comment by demanding a retraction of its statements posted on the airline's website amid a battle over the passenger service charge (PSC) which the airline refuses to collect for the airport operator.

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat and AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail issued a joint statement saying that Malaysia Airports was using “its dominant position and the threat of legal action to stifle and suppress fair comments”.

The two CEOs were responding to a statement by Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) and Malaysia Airports (Sepang) (MASSB) on Monday (Feb 11) to announce that AirAsia had been served a letter of demand to “cease and desist” from making “misleading statements” about the airport operator and to withdraw statements posted on the AirAsia news portal.

“We have only been responding to suits filed by MAHB over the PSC.

“AirAsia’s newsroom provides media and journalists from around the globe with accurate and up-to-date news and information about our company. The newsroom also serves as the primary source of communication relating to current and breaking issues, and clarification of claims made about AirAsia in the media,” Mr Riad and Mr Benyamin said.

They added that AirAsia had to go for mediation to resolve its dispute with MAHB but was rejected.

Malaysia Airports in December filed a suit against AirAsia to claim RM9.4 million (S$3.14 million) from AirAsia Bhd and RM26.71 million from AirAsia X, being the difference from the increase of the PSC from RM50 to RM73 last year.

AirAsia has said it is refusing to pay up the arrears because of the lower level of service provided to passengers at klia2 compared with the full-service terminal at KLIA.

AirAsia and AirAsia X have filed a counterclaim seeking more than RM400 million for losses and damages arising from operational disruptions at klia2. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT