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AirAsia Armrests “Fixed” With Yellow Tape Due To Spare Parts Shortage

AirAsia Armrests “Fixed” With Yellow Tape Due To Spare Parts Shortage

A passenger flying to Kuala Lumpur from Taipei was shocked to see the airplane seats and armrests being held together with yellow tape.

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AirAsia has taken a few hits here and there due to the refund drama and flight delays but none of it prepared a passenger for what’s to come and it left a poor impression of the national carrier.

Writing on Facebook, Edward Yong said he was boarding an AirAsia flight from Taipei to Kuala Lumpur on 20 February.

Upon entering the plane, he could see that some seats and the armrests were covered in yellow tape.

At first glance, it seemed like the whole plane was held together by tape and he felt embarrassed because foreign travellers on the same flight might think they were going to a backwards country.

Netizens were similarly shocked at the state of the plane despite AirAsia being a budget airline.

Some said the airlines could have used a darker coloured tape to blend in with the colours of the armrests and seats instead of a striking yellow, which lent a whole unsightly “danger” vibe to it.

Meanwhile, others said the tape was a temporary measure and using brightly coloured tape to mark the areas could make it easier for the repairmen to identify the problem areas.

There were also others who joked that it’s probably part of the Rahmah-priced flight experience, referring to the current Menu Rahmah priced at RM5 to help those in need to get food.

It’s still safe to fly with AirAsia

AirAsia X has since clarified its use of the tape after the matter received tons of attention online.

AirAsia’s Head of Engineering Alvin Tan explained that the airlines used vinyl tape on the seat armrests as a temporary measure due to the lack of spare parts for repairs, Malay Mail reported.

Tan added that there was no safety issue and vinyl tape is commonly used for cosmetic cabin repairs.

Due to the shortage of spare parts affecting operators worldwide and taking into account that this is not a safety issue, the vinyl tape — which is commonly used to cosmetic cabin repairs — was used as a temporary measure to prevent flight disruptions and to prioritise getting our guests to their destinations safely and timely.

AirAsia’s Head of Engineering Alvin Tan

Additionally, the spare parts ordered in August 2022 arrived last week and repair work is underway to fix all the damaged armrests.

It’s also implied that the other airlines are suffering from spare parts shortages as well.


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