AIRASIA TOLD TO REMOVE ARTICLES
MAHB, subsidiary issue letter of demand to firm, reserve right to take further action
MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and its subsidiary, Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd, have jointly served a letter of demand on AirAsia Bhd, AirAsia X Bhd and their respective chief executive officers, Riad Asmat and Benyamin Ismail.
The airport operator said the letter of demand was due to inaccurate and misleading articles published on AirAsia’s portal, AirAsia Newsroom.
MAHB yesterday demanded that AirAsia remove immediately the said articles from AirAsia Newsroom, and cease and desist immediately from making further false, inaccurate and misleading statements about it.
“While Malaysia Airports takes no issue with AirAsia informing its shareholders of the progress and status of court suits in accordance with the law, AirAsia has overstepped its boundaries by publishing false, inaccurate and misleading statements in the media aimed at damaging the reputation of Malaysia Airports,” said MAHB.
The letter of demand was to protect its interests as the main airport operator in the country, MAHB added.
MAHB had filed a suit against AirAsia and AirAsia X Bhd on Dec 10 for a collective RM36 million in outstanding airport tax collection.
The sum represents the balance of a gazetted airport tax rate, known as the passenger service charge (PSC), on international departures that AirAsia had refused to collect in full.
Last week, AirAsia said MAHB had rejected its offer of mediation.
AirAsia had proposed mediation to MAHB to resolve the dispute over PSC at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2.
The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) Act 2015 requires MAHB and airline operators to mediate any dispute. Legal action may be used only as a last resort after other efforts have failed.
MAHB said it maintained its long-standing position that the dispute and related matters had all been presented before the courts for determination and parties should let the matters be decided by the courts.
“Hence, there is no necessity for AirAsia to make disparaging remarks about Malaysia Airports,” it added.
MAHB said it had reserved the right to take further action should AirAsia refuse to comply with the letter of demand or persist in making further false, inaccurate and misleading statements about the company.
AirAsia maintained that MAHB’s threat of legal action was unwarranted.
“We will avail ourselves of all avenues to defend ourselves against all actions, whether through mediation and arbitration as the law requires, or in the courts of law as MAHB seeks,” Riad and Benyamin said in a statement yesterday.
It said AirAsia Newsroom provided media and journalists with accurate and up-to-date news and information about the company.
“The Newsroom serves as the primary source of communication relating to current and breaking issues, and clarification of claims made about AirAsia in the media.”