Considering the mediation regarding the passenger service charge controversy did not push through, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) is currently urging AirAsia to delete from its website allegedly derogatory articles about the airports firm.
In a press statement on Feb. 11 (Monday), MAHB said AirAsia had allegedly published “several inaccurate and misleading articles” about the firm and posted them on the latter’s online platform.
Although the airport company did not identify what these articles were, AirAsia’s site had supposedly published a number of write-ups about the dispute. The articles’ titles reportedly read as “MAHB is duplicitous and misleading in its arguments” and “MAHB’s record profits come at a cost to the Malaysian economy and tourism industry.”
MAHB cited the group had sent the carrier a demand letter requesting to remove the ‘damaging’ articles and refrain from posting other related articles.
Malaysia Airports said, “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.”
MAHB added the dispute was already in court so AirAsia has no right to post disparaging remarks about Malaysia Airports.
If AirAsia refused to comply with MAHB’s demands, the latter threatened to seek legal action about the matter.
Later that day, AirAsia issued its own statement, citing the budget carrier was simply ‘responding’ to Malaysia Airport’s legal suits. The website articles only served as a means to clarify “claims made about AirAsia in the media.”
Both top budget carrier’s executives such as Riad Asmat, AirAsia Malaysia CEO, and Benyamin Ismail, AirAsia X Malaysia CEO, in a joint statement, noted they were “not surprised by MAHB’s another legal response,” implicating the airport operator is using its ‘dominance’ to cover and suppress fair comments.
The airline remained steadfast to its recent statements and willing to defend them if necessary through legal action.