Air Asia said it will temporarily hibernate most of its fleet across its network until the end of April due to the increasing number of countries imposing border restrictions amid the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.

“With governments imposing travel and movement restrictions including home quarantine orders, Air Asia is also playing its part in helping curb the spread of the virus in order to keep flying safe for everyone,” the airline said in a press release posted on its website.

The Air Asia Group operates an all-Airbus fleet of aircraft, flying out of its hubs in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Japan.

Below is a full list of flight suspensions across its subsidiaries:

Air Asia (short-haul)

  • Air Asia Malaysia (AK): Temporary suspension of all international and domestic flights from March 28 to April 21.
  • Air Asia Philippines (Z2): Temporary suspension of all international and domestic flights from March 20 to April 14.
  • Air Asia Thai (FD): Temporary suspension of all international flights from March 22 to April 25. Domestic operations will continue “at a reduced frequency”. 
  • Air Asia Indonesia (QZ): “Significantly” reduced international flight frequency. Domestic flights will continue to operate “with a reduced schedule”. 
  • Air Asia India (I5): Temporary suspension of all flights from March 25 for 21 days. The airline said this is in line with the government’s suspension of domestic flights.

Air Asia X (medium and long-haul)

  • Air Asia X Malaysia (D7): Temporary suspension of most flights from March 28 to May 31
  • Air Asia X Thailand (XJ): Temporary suspension of all flights from March 16 for a period of three months. DMK-ICN suspended until April 19.

According to Air Asia, all affected guests are being immediately notified by email and SMS. They have the option of converting their flight booking into a credit account that is valid for future redemption for 365 days or moving their flights for an unlimited number of times without any charges to another date before October 31 this year.

The Malaysian airline is also advising passengers to stay tuned to travel advisories issued “from time to time” on airasia.com and the carrier’s social media platforms.

Air Asia, which was founded by entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, said both management and senior employees at Air Asia Group have volunteered a “salary sacrifice ranging from 100 per cent at the very top to 15 per cent”.

“This will help ensure that we can ride out this prolonged period of extremely low travel demand and at the same time minimise the impact on our employees, especially those in junior positions,” reads a press release from the airline.

airasia.com