Loke denies Transport Ministry talks with AirAsia amid bailout reports

AirAsia aircraft are parked on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) in Sepang, Selangor on April 29, 2020. — AFP pic By Muhammad Yusry First Published: Monday, 12 Oct 2026 1:54 PM MYT Last Modified: Monday, 12 Oct 2026 1:58 PM MYT PUTRAJAYA, Oct 12 — The Transport Ministry has not concluded any agreement with AirAsia nor engaged in discussions with the budget carrier over the past few weeks, Transport Minister Anthony Loke clarified today. Speaking at a press conference at the ministry headquarters here, Loke moved to dismiss speculation surrounding his ministry’s involvement in any ongoing funding arrangements. “There have been no meetings with AirAsia over the past two to three weeks, and no agreement has been reached,” he told reporters. Loke was responding to an earlier report by Reuters that claimed that AirAsia had held discussions with the Malaysian government regarding potential funding support, citing sources familiar with the matter. While maintaining that the Transport Ministry has had no recent engagement with the airline, Loke did not discount the possibility that carrier executives may have approached the Ministry of Finance directly. He noted that commercial airlines routinely hold routine engagements with government stakeholders, but stressed that he could only speak definitively for his own portfolio, reiterating that no deal has been brokered through the Transport Ministry.