Firefly suspends all flights to Singapore from Dec 1

SINGAPORE - Malaysian airline Firefly will suspend all flights to Singapore with effect from Dec 1, the day it was scheduled to transfer its operations from Changi to Seletar Airport.

In a notice on its website, the airline said it would resume services once the relevant authorities can sort out regulatory issues with regard to its move to Seletar.

Firefly, a full subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, did not elaborate further on its decision to suspend flights, but The Straits Times understands that it is in discussion with its country's regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.

"Firefly confirms that it has had to suspend flights into Singapore effective 1 December 2018 until the relevant authorities have cleared remaining matters in relation to the Singapore authority's plans to move turboprop operations from Changi International to Seletar," the airline said in its notice.

The plan was for Firefly to move to a new $80 million passenger terminal that opened at Seletar Airport on Monday (Nov 19) for scheduled commercial flights and business aviation involving passengers travelling on chartered business flights and private jets.

Changi Airport Group (CAG), which announced the opening, said that all turboprop operations at Changi would move to the new Seletar Airport terminal from Dec 1. Seletar will also handle all scheduled turboprop flights in Singapore from that day, the airport operator said.

Currently, only Malaysia's Firefly operates such turboprop flights to Changi. It offers 20 daily flights - to and from Subang, Ipoh and Kuantan.

In its notice, the airline added: "Firefly has not been provided any definitive timeline by the authorities for the delay. Upon final approval from the authorities, Firefly will then resume its flights into Singapore.

"In the meantime, arrangements are being made for all affected passengers. We apologise to passengers for the inconvenience caused."

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."

Seletar Airport's new terminal spans 10,000 sq m and is designed to handle up to 700,000 passengers each year.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.