KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has approved 27 Air Traffic Rights (ATR) out of the 28 applications submitted in the fourth quarter of 2021, which is a 33.3 per cent jump in applications and a 28.6 per cent increase in approvals compared with the third quarter of 2021.
Of the 28 ATR applications, 17 were for domestic routes, which have more than doubled compared with seven applications submitted in the third quarter of 2021.
In a statement, the commission reported that the increase was primarily due to the reopening of interstate borders in October 2021 and a rise in demand for domestic holiday-related travel, with the additional flights mainly to Langkawi followed by Johor Bahru, Penang, and Kota Bharu.
“Despite the ongoing pandemic, we are seeing encouraging signs of recovery within the domestic segment, as indicated by the increase in ATR applications for domestic routes in the fourth quarter of 2021. This promising development illustrates the sector’s resilience and its ability to bounce back post-pandemic.
“We hope that this continues as air travellers are highly encouraged to pre-plan their flights for festive periods well in advance to avoid crowds and high-ticket prices,” Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said in the statement today.
The commission also received 13 ATR applications from the air cargo segment, which signals continued and sustained growth. The increase in ATR approvals is also attributed to new cargo Air Service Licence (ASL) holders, namely World Cargo Airline Sdn Bhd and M Jets International Sdn Bhd, which received nine ATRs for Q4 2021.
Mavcom expects the segment to grow by between 3.9 per cent and 6.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in 2022, translating to between 20.8 and 21.6 billion in Freight Tonne Kilometres (FTK).
In terms of the breakdown of ATR allocations for Q4 2021, Malaysia Airlines Bhd and World Cargo
Airline Sdn Bhd received the highest number of approvals with six ATRs each followed by AirAsia Bhd (five ATRs) and M Jets International Sdn Bhd (three ATRs).
Additionally, AirAsia X Bhd, FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd and Malindo Airways Sdn Bhd received two ATR allocations each, and MyJet Express Airlines Sdn Bhd was awarded one ATR allocation. – Bernama