AIRASIA is refuting the police report lodged by the the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) against its group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes.

The airline’s boss said in a video on Sunday that Mavcom had told AirAsia to cancel all the 120 additional flights it had applied for to fly voters home to vote in 14th general election. It led Mavcom to issue a denial and lodge a police report today.

AirAsia said Fernandes’ statement was fully supported by evidence and facts, including direct communication between AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat and Mavcom executive chairman Gen (Rtd) Abdullah Ahmad.

“We will divulge the evidence and facts to the appropriate authorities at the right time,” the airline said in a statement responding to the police report.

“We will cooperate fully with the police on this investigation in accordance to the law and take all actions that are necessary to protect the interests of AirAsia, as well as Fernandes.”

Mavcom earlier today said it never issued any directive to AirAsia or any other airline to reduce or cancel any flights where regulatory requirements are met.

“To Fernandes’ statement that ‘within 24 hours, we were summoned by Mavcom’, the commission categorically refutes that any AirAsia staff were summoned at all material times between April 17 and May 13 to appear before the commission regarding this matter.

“The commission had in fact approved all 66 additional flights, which were applied for by AirAsia on April 23, 2018… Mavcom views Fernandes’ claims as serious accusations and has lodged a police report on the matter.”

The video Fernandes uploaded on his Facebook page on Sunday was to respond to the backlash he had suffered after being featured in a pro-Najib Razak pre-GE14 video.

Fernandes explained that he “foolishly” thought the earlier video would appease the former Barisan Nasional (BN) government after he was pressured by the former prime minister’s office to sack AirAsia X chairman Rafidah Aziz, who had criticised BN and campaigned for Pakatan Harapan.

He said he had refused to remove Rafidah, believing that it was not right.

He also revealed that he faced pressure for putting out 120 extra AirAsia flights to fly 26,000 voters home to vote in GE14.

He said the move was unpopular and said the airline was summoned by Mavcom to cancel the flights within 24 hours of the announcement. – May 15, 2018.