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KUCHING – A shortage of spare parts caused AirAsia X to use vinyl tape on the armrests of several seats in its planes, said its head of engineering Alvin Tan.
In a statement issued by the company’s public relations officer yesterday, Tan assured the public that the matter was not a safety issue.
“Due to the shortage of spare parts affecting operators worldwide and taking into account that this is not a safety issue, the vinyl tape – which is commonly used for cosmetic cabin repairs – was used as a temporary measure to prevent flight disruptions and to prioritise getting our guests to their destinations safely and timely.
“Spare parts orders placed in August 2022 have arrived last week and repair work is currently ongoing to fix all of the armrests.”
Tan was responding to a viral Facebook post posted by a passenger on a Taipei-Kuala Lumpur flight on February 20, which showed vinyl tape being used on the armrests.
The passenger also hinted that he was embarrassed for Malaysia by the issue.
However, the public relations officer also shared that AirAsia X is not the only company suffering from a shortage of spare parts. – Borneo Post Online, February 22, 2023