KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 ― The “Monspace” marking on an aircraft owned by Suasa Airlines Sdn Bhd is just an advertisement which the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) was aware of, the company's chief executive officer Captain Sheikh Salleh Abod said.
He was clarifying the “confusion” over the weekend about a purported new airline using the brand name of Monspace taking to the air without approval.
Sheikh Salleh said that Suasa Airlines ― which is seeking to be a chartered flight operator ― had allowed Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd to have its advertisement carried on the aircraft that went on a DCA-approved non-commercial flight to Langkawi on July 22.
“It is our charterer's advertisement. There's nothing wrong with it,” he told Malay Mail Online in an interview on Tuesday.
“They charter our flights, they will be our charterer. And they are not a one-off charter, they charter for long-term. That is the reason why we allowed them to paint on our aircraft,” he added.
Recently, photos of an aircraft in pink livery marked with the words “Monspace”, “Suasa Airlines”, “www.monskyways.com” had surfaced online, prompting confusion over the identity of the actual flight operator, while DCA said this Monday that it would order Suasa Airlines to explain the markings.
But Sheikh Salleh explained that the DCA had already viewed the aircraft with the advertisement on it when it gave its approval for the July 22 demonstration flight to Langkawi from KLIA.
“When DCA approved our aircraft, when they approved, they saw all that and we will be painting some other companies later,” he said.
“The approval is given by DCA, otherwise we cannot even operate,” he added.
Mon Space and Monspace Sky Airlines?
Entertainment outlet Galaksi Media Online had published a report on the purported July 22 launch of a “Monspace Sky Airlines.” One of the photos in the report showed Hong Kong celebrity Maria Cordero and local celebrity Shila Amzah pointing at a banner publicising the launch of one “Monspace Sky Airline” that was allegedly “operated by Suasa Air Sdn Bhd”, and standing in front of an aircraft with pink livery bearing the words “www.monskyways.com.”
Malay Mail Online's previous check of www.monskyways.com showed the website claiming Monspace Sky Airlines to be “one of the largest private airline in Malaysia” that purportedly “own and operate the largest fleet of Boeing 737 and 747”, but all content had been removed from the same website by Monday night, replaced instead with a message that the website is currently under maintenance and a line saying “Monspace Sky Airlines operated by Suasa Air Sdn Bhd.”
No company by the name of Monspace Sky Airlines or Suasa Air Sdn Bhd was found in Malay Mail Online's search of the Companies Commission of Malaysia's (CCM) registry.
The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) said Monday it is lodging a police report against Monspace Sky Airlines for allegedly “misleading the public” by advertising itself as an airline despite not having the necessary permit or licence to operate commercial flights.
Sheikh Salleh said that he was unaware of Monspace Sky Airlines’s purported existence and that Suasa Airlines is merely partnering Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd, which he said is a legitimate company registered with the CCM.
“Mon Space I know, we sign an agreement with them, I know, but Monspace Sky Airlines, I have never heard of them.
“We tied up with Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd. It is a company registered under ROC, approved by Bank Negara,” he said.
“But Mon Space ((M) Sdn Bhd) is a legitimate company; it has got nothing to do with Monspace Sky Airlines. If there is, then we don't know.
“In the first place I do not even know whether Monspace Sky Airlines exists, because for them to use (the word) 'airline', they need DCA approval and DCA have not approved anybody by that airline so I don't know,” he said.
As for Shila and Maria's role during Suasa Airlines' July 22 flight to Langkawi, Sheikh Salleh said the duo were “guests” of Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd, adding that invited guests are brought on demonstration flights that showcase a flight operator's aircraft and capabilities.
Sheikh Salleh said that the DCA had on Tuesday asked Suasa Airlines to explain its relationship with Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd, and confirmed that the former will provide an explanation.
Based on Malay Mail Online’s check of the CCM registry, the company profiles for Suasa Airlines Sdn Bhd and Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd showed that the two do not share any directors or shareholders. A comparison of the company profiles for four companies with the word Mon Space as part of their name, and a company and yet another business bearing the word Monspace, showed that none of their shareholders or directors or owners appear in Suasa Airlines’ company profile.
However, little is known about Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd, as monspacea.com ― purported to be its official website and attributing copyright ownership to the company ― also promotes a Mon Space Group purportedly headed by an individual named Datuk Seri Dr Jessy.
Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd’s company profile in CCM’s records state that its nature of business is for the “general trading of all kind products”, as well as “to purchase, subscribe for or otherwise acquire and hold stocks, bonds and securities issued or guaranteed by any company.”
Eyeing the Chinese market
Sheikh Salleh explained that Suasa Airlines as a chartered flight operator intends to bring Chinese tourists into Malaysia, but lacked the necessary contacts in China and would be tapping into Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd's links.
“We are a chartered operator, we tie up with Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd who have got links, who are linked extensively in China, so our plan is to bring Chinese tourists into the country, inbound, so that is good for the tourism industry and economy of the country,” he said.
The plan for now would involve Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd chartering a Chinese carrier that would bring in the Chinese tourists to Langkawi, with Suasa Airlines to bring them to other parts of Malaysia instead of having the tourists return home from Langkawi, he said.
Mon Space (M) Sdn Bhd's future plans would envision Suasa Airlines flying directly to China to bring the tourists here and skipping the need for a Chinese carrier, he said.
Nothing to do with suasaairlines.com
Sheikh Salleh also set the record straight on his company's name and website.
“Our company is Suasa Airlines Sdn Bhd, our website is www.suasaair.com,” he said, adding that the company has “nothing to do” with a website by the name of “www.suasaairlines.com”.
Suasa Airlines' own website is currently under construction.
A check revealed the www.suasairlines.com website to be offering searches for hotel and flight bookings, with flight searches redirected to search results by travel search company Wego. It also carried a message saying, “This website for sale.”
Sheikh Salleh pointed out that Suasa Airlines as a chartered flight operator only provides chartered flights and would not be selling flight tickets.
Rayani Air leased our aircraft
Sheikh Salleh said Suasa Airlines also has no ties with Rayani Air, which had previously leased the former's aircraft for its flight operations.
“We are not associated with them. It's only that we lease our aircraft to them, when they close shop, we took back the aircraft,” he said.
Suasa Airlines currently owns six Boeing 737-400 planes with a capacity of 144 persons each which were formerly used by Malaysia Airlines, with the entire fleet purchased and fully paid for from Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad, he said.
Suasa Airlines has yet to launch its commercial flight operations and is currently waiting for an Air Service Permit (ASP) from the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) to do so.
It has already obtained an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the DCA after clearing technical inspections. This certificate will allow the company to carry out non-commercial flights such as test flights, demonstration flights and positioning flights that must be individually approved by the aviation authority.
On Wednesday, Malay Mail Online contacted Mavcom to find out the latest information on its investigations into Suasa Airlines and Monspace Sky Airlines to verify, among others, if Mavcom's approval was needed for advertisements on aircraft for flight operators that have yet to receive licences for commercial flights.
“As at today MAVCOM is investigating both Suasa Airlines and Monspace Sky Airlines. As the matter is currently under investigation, we are not able to divulge any information,” the commission told Malay Mail Online in an email reply the same day.
