PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) awarded 57 Air Traffic Rights (ATR) to the civil aviation sector between April and June, consisting of 45 international and 12 domestic routes.
This was disclosed in Mavcom’s ATR report for the second quarter of this year (Q2’23).
On a year-on-year basis, ATR applications saw a marked upswing in Q2’23 compared with the second quarter of 2022.
There was a substantial increase of 87.5%, signalling an invigorated momentum within the aviation sector. While the aviation industry continued its recovery, the commission reported an 11.7% decrease in ATR applications in Q2’23 compared with the first quarter of the year.
When compared with the second quarter of 2019 (pre-Covid-19 pandemic), ATR applications showed an increase of 5.3%. In Q2’23, there was a rise of 12 ATR awarded for the international sector compared with the same period in 2019, accentuating the expansion of the industry and a return to normalcy.
Mavcom’s executive chairman, Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim, said: “As part of the commission’s continued efforts to ensure that Malaysia’s aviation industry remains dynamic and responsive to global travel trends, we have approved ATR for various new destinations as well as to establish new hub connections. These decisive measures are specifically tailored to enhance connectivity, spur economic growth, and catalyse the recovery of the aviation sector. We are particularly encouraged to see airlines seizing these opportunities for expansion.
“The significant increase in ATR applications and approvals in Q2 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, bears testament to the industry’s inherent strength and its capacity to adapt and thrive.”
AirAsia and its logistics arm Teleport, received 16 ATR for international and domestic routes. With 16 approvals, constituting 28% of the total 57 ATR awarded, AirAsia secured the lion’s share in the quarter.
During the quarter under review, Batik Air was given ATR approvals to fly to new destinations including Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Okinawa, Japan via Taipei. Meanwhile, AirAsia X received ATR approval to service the Almaty, Kazakhstan, route.
Concurrently, Teleport received ATR for routes encompassing Hong Kong and key sectors in Sabah and Sarawak, namely Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Tawau.
In line with Malaysia Aviation Group’s strategy to position Kota Kinabalu as a regional hub for Firefly, ATR approvals was granted for flights from Kota Kinabalu to Narita and Taipei in May 2023. Complementing these expansions, Mavcom awarded MYAirline with ATR approvals to Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, broadening Malaysia’s connectivity within the Asean region.
Meanwhil,e following approval given, MYAirline has been flying to Bangkok, Thailand, since June.