AirAsia denies Philippine flight grounding claims, slams ‘smear campaign’

AirAsia X has called recent media reports claiming its Philippine operations were being grounded “coordinated and sensationalised” and part of a “deliberate smear campaign”.In a statement, the airline group said the smear campaign had long been occurring in an attempt to undermine fair competition in the Philippine aviation sector.“Such narratives serve only the interests of those seeking to limit consumer choice and create conditions that could lead to a monopoly in the market,” it said.“A monopoly benefits no one except dominant market players. For travellers, it often results in reduced competition, fewer choices and significantly higher airfares.”Philippine news outlets reported on Wednesday that the Philippines" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="140070" data-entity-type="organization">Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines had issued a cease-and-desist order to the airline to halt operations at its airports over an outstanding bill of 270 million pesos (US$4.3 million).However, the group later clarified that all its Philippine flights were continuing as scheduled.“All Z2 [Philippines" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="140071" data-entity-type="organization">AirAsia Philippines] flights remain fully operational, with flights and services continuing as scheduled across its network, subject to normal operational considerations such as weather and other standard factors affecting airline operations,” it said in its latest statement.AirAsia group co-founder and adviser Tony Fernandes said in the same statement that AirAsia has long championed affordable travel and will continue to stand firmly against any development that harms consumers or restricts access to air connectivity.“AirAsia carries almost seven million guests in the Philippines annually and our commitment to the Philippines is absolute. We are deeply invested in the country, its people and its future,” he added.This story was first published by The StarFurther Reading