PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian tourism sector is set to soar again as travel restrictions are lifted, but uncertainty over quarantine for flight crew threatens to clip its wings.
While the Health Ministry has mandated that pilots and cabin crew are required to be screened for fever and to have a Covid-19 Rapid Antigen (RTK-Ag) test upon landing in Malaysia, it remains unclear if they will have to be quarantined if they test positive.
The new requirement took effect on Sunday.
According to aviation experts, foreign airlines would be reluctant to restart flights to Malaysia as a result of the lack of clarity on the matter.
They said this would have a negative impact on efforts to revive tourism, a major money spinner for the country.
Aviation consultant Juswil Adriani Sjaiful Anwar agreed that the new standard operating procedure (SOP) would be a challenge for airlines flying into Malaysia.
“Some questions remain. Would flight crews who test positive be required to remain in Malaysia for quarantine and if so, for how long? Or would they be allowed to fly out as scheduled?” he pointed out to theSun.
Juswil, a 14-year veteran of low-cost carrier AirAsia, said the extra hours of screening at the airport would eat into the crews’ break time. Crews are required to have a break of at least 10 hours between long-haul flights.
He pointed out that if one of them tests positive and is required to be quarantined in Malaysia for seven days, the crew would not be able to fly out, leaving the aircraft on the tarmac until a rescue crew arrives.
“This will incur substantial costs for the airline and deplete its manpower,” he said.
Juswil said the Malaysian authorities should work with all stakeholders to come up with a more viable solution. He cited the requirements at Heathrow Airport in London and the Dubai Airport as more accommodating and should be considered for Malaysia.
“Both parties – the Malaysian authorities and the airlines – should come to a compromise. Both must work together to ensure safe passage for passengers and crew travelling to Malaysia,” he said.
Otherwise, he added, it would have a negative impact not only on tourism but the aviation industry in Malaysia as well.
He cited the recent example of global delivery service provider FedEx relocating its operations from Hong Kong to avoid the city’s strict anti-Covid measures as a case in point.
Former Malaysia Airlines director of flight operations Capt Mohd Kamil Abu Bakar noted while the requirement is within the jurisdiction and prerogative of the government, he also agreed it could throw a spanner in the works for the tourism sector.
“On the one hand, we reopen our borders, while on the other we make it difficult for them to come in or we make them feel uninvited,” he told theSun.
Mohd Kamil noted that the ruling is not a problem for airlines operating from Malaysia because flight crews who test positive for Covid-19 could easily be quarantined at home.
“But if it is a foreign flight crew, they could end up being here for a week. The flight will be grounded unless the airline despatches a replacement crew,” he said.
This, he said, would take time, causing delays and inconvenience for passengers. “That’s why the airlines are not happy about the new requirement,” he said.
Mohd Kamil said one way for foreign airlines to circumvent the ruling is to avoid a layover.
“But that would entail having two sets of crews for each flight ... one to fly in and the other to fly out,” he said.
“The last resort would be to not fly to Malaysia, and that would be a major loss for our tourism and related sectors,” he added.
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