KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has reported a jump of 81 per cent in air traffic rights (ATR) applications in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022 compared with the same period last year.
ATR applications rose 18.8 per cent against the previous quarter (Q2 2022), Mavcom said in a statement today in conjunction with the publication of its latest quarterly ATR report.
Executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said the steady increase in ATR applications and approvals over the past year and the past three quarters this year reflected progress in the recovery of the Malaysian aviation sector.
“This is attributed to the gradual reopening of regional and international borders, the downward trend in the spread of Covid-19, the reactivation of aircraft by airlines, and an increase in passenger services to destinations with pent-up demand.
“Reflecting this, the majority of the ATR applications that we have received have been for destinations in the Asia-Pacific region with 11 applications for Asean routes, nine for routes in Asia, and four for Australasia destinations,” he said.
Therefore, Mavcom is optimistic that the nation’s aviation industry will continue to achieve progressive recovery, Saripuddin added.
For the quarter under review, the commission approved 34 out of the 38 ATR applications received from airlines, with all domestic ATR applications receiving approval.
Of the 34 local ATR approvals, Batik Air Malaysia and AirAsia X received the highest number of approvals, totalling 10 ATRs respectively, followed by MABKargo with five ATRs.
Both Malaysia Airlines and World Cargo Airlines were granted three ATRs each, while AirAsia, MyJet Xpress, and Raya Airways obtained one ATR approval each, it said.
Mavcom said it takes a range of conditions into account when allocating ATRs, including public demand, quality of service, the economic viability of the proposed flights, and competition levels, especially on international routes.
It noted that the cargo sector has witnessed growth in terms of the number of applications submitted and approved in 2022, with a total of 10 ATRs allocated for the cargo sector in Q3 2022.
“This was attributed to improved demand for cargo in Asean and China destinations.
“In terms of performance, ATR approvals for the cargo sector increased by 25 per cent from Q1 2022 to Q3 2022, and 10 per cent from Q2 2022 to Q3 2022, alongside a 44.4 per cent jump compared to Q3 2021,” it said.
— Bernama
