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SE Asia airlines think outside box to survive

In Indonesia alone, the airline industry experienced a loss of US$1.56 billion between February and April this year, which was driven by a decrease in domestic and international passengers following the COVID-19 outbreak.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)

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Thu, October 8, 2020 Published on Oct. 6, 2020 Published on 2020-10-06T17:58:57+07:00

Customers eat at Thai Airways pop-up airplane-themed restaurant at the airlines headquarters with onboard meals prepared by their chefs, while their fleet is still grounded at the airport and the company awaits a bankruptcy court decision, in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 3, 2020.

News Desk

Jakarta

As a result of travel bans and restrictions, as well as decreased travel over coronavirus fears, civil aviation is among the industries hit hardest by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In Indonesia, the airline industry experienced a loss of US$1.56 billion between February and April this year, which was driven by a decrease in domestic and international passengers following the outbreak, according to data released by the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) on April 24.

Throughout this time of crisis, several Southeast Asian airlines have launched new business ventures in the hopes of surviving the pandemic.

Malaysian budget airline AirAsia introduced digital platform IKLHAS for Muslim travelers in April.

Offering services for religious traditions such as umrah (minor haj), qurban (animal sacrifice) and now aqiqah (Islamic sacrificial ritual following the birth of a child), IKHLAS is available in 35 countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and India.