KUALA LUMPUR (July 10): Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd (MAG) has decided to deploy its low-cost arm FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd’s (Firefly) narrow-body jets -- the Boeing 737-800s -- to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor (Subang Airport) when jet operations resume after 26 years.
In May, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook was reported as saying that he expects jet operations to resume at Subang Airport in the third quarter of 2024.
MAG does not expect the jet operations to have any impact on Firefly’s existing ATR72 turboprop operations as it will continue its current planned ATR72 schedules.
“It is expected that Firefly’s jet operations will complement the ATR72 network due to the different capabilities of the 737 aircraft,” the group said in an email response to questions from The Edge on Wednesday. Apart from Firefly, MAG’s other subsidiaries include Malaysia Airlines Bhd and MASwings Sdn Bhd.
On the jet's flight schedule and destinations, MAG said: “We will advise this in the very near future as we finalise our operational readiness and ensure the readiness of Subang Airport’s infrastructure to handle jet operations.”
MAG, AirAsia, Batik Air, SKS Airways Sdn Bhd and Singapore’s budget carrier Scoot Pte Ltd, which recently took delivery of its Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, have expressed their interest in operating jets from Subang Airport. However, it is understood that the number of slots allocated to each airline by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to operate jets at the airport will be limited.
“MAG is committed to achieving financial sustainability and aims to continue the strong financial performance we have recorded thus far. We continue to rigorously assess all aspects of our operations including the new Firefly jet operations in Subang and will adjust our plan accordingly if needed,” said MAG.
Since 1998, Subang Airport has been limited to handling only propeller-driven aircraft to avoid cannibalising the traffic at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and to make KLIA a strong aviation hub in the region. But in February 2023, the government gave the go-ahead for the return of scheduled jet passenger and cargo flights under the revised Subang Airport Regeneration Plan.