The island is the first destination in Malaysia to be designated a green bubble for domestic tourism, opening its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from Sept 16.

In a statement this morning, AirAsia assured travellers that their health is a top priority for the airline, which has put in place a host of regulations to ensure safe and convenient travel.

In addition to all air crew being fully vaccinated and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), self-check-in has now been made mandatory to minimise contact and crowding at the airport.

“You can easily do this via the airasia Super App or the airasia.com website as early as 14 days before your departure date. Simply scan or upload any required vaccination or health documents during the online check-in process for real-time verification,” the airline said.

Check-ins at the counter will only be allowed for those with reduced mobility, people travelling with children younger than 24 months and young passengers on their own.

The airline is also mandating that masks be worn throughout the flight. While a single three-ply face mask is sufficient, “masks with an open valve are not permitted onboard AirAsia flights.”

AirAsia also reiterated that High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestor (Hepa) filters have been installed in all aircraft, with all planes undergoing deep cleaning between flights.

Travellers are advised to arrive four hours before their flight to ensure they have ample time to go through the necessary procedures.

“Support staff will be on stand-by to guide guests and assist with any queries,” it said.