We will have one less airline to choose from when flying into Singapore come 1 December 2018.
Effective that date, the Malaysia airline Firefly will suspend all its flights into Singapore, the same day it is scheduled to transfer its operations from Changi to Seletar Airport. A notice posted on the airline’s website states that it would resume services once the relevant authorities sort out regulatory issues related to the move.
The original plan was for Firefly to move to a new $80 million passenger terminal on Monday (Nov 19), but the airline has was given a new date of Dec 1 for the move. "Firefly has not been provided any definitive timeline for the delay. Upon final approval from the authorities, Firefly will then resume its flights into Singapore,” it further said in its notice.
The airline appears to be in discussion with its country's regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.
The delay in the move affects scheduled commercial flights and business aviation involving passengers, travelling on chartered business flights and private jets.
A spokesman for Firefly told The Straits Times on Monday: "We will move to Seletar Airport for sure. As to when that will happen, we are still in the midst of settling some issues internally and with CAG.
"In the meantime, arrangements are being made for all affected passengers. We apologize to passengers for the inconvenience caused."
Effective 1 Dec, the new Seletar Airport terminal will handle all turboprop flights in Singapore. This includes Firefly, the only airline operating out of the Changi terminal. Firefly offers 20 daily flights - to and from Subang, Ipoh and Kuantan.
Seletar Airport's new terminal spans 10,000 sq m and is designed to handle up to 700,000 passengers each year.
Firefly is a full subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines.
Source: The Star, The Straits Times, Asia News Network
Photo: RadyoMaN