Malaysian carrier Suasa Airlines has been fined by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) for operating an unregistered domestic flight.
The airline pleaded guilty to operating the flight between Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi last year and was ordered to pay RM380,000 by the Sepang Sessions Court.
Mavcom had earlier rejected its application to fly the route on July 22, 2016 but the airline went ahead anyway, describing it as a ‘demonstration flight.’
The offence falls under Section 36 of the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 which carries a maximum penalty of RM1 million.
"Airlines must have all regulatory approvals in place before starting operations as this is not only required by Malaysian laws but also according to international standards and practices. The stringent steps taken by Mavcom aims to safeguard consumers and the Commission will not hesitate to take action on offenders that do not comply with the industry laws and regulations," Mavcom executive chairman Gen Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad said in a statement.
