The company, which offered services from the capital city to Singapore and Penang, said it received a directive from the government on May 13, stating that it could only operate from licensed terminals, namely 1 Utama, LaLaport, and IOI City Mall, but this posed challenges for its passengers.
“Rather than compromising our values, charging you more, or delivering a compromised experience, we have made the very difficult decision to leave Kuala Lumpur entirely and focus on serving you elsewhere,” it said in a Facebook post.
Aeroline said that when its “long-standing home” at Corus KLCC was no longer suitable to serve as a station, it relocated to TRX in the interim, which proved to be “hugely popular”.
However, following the strict directive that it was to operate only from licensed terminals, the only available venues were 1 Utama, LaLaport, and IOI City Mall.
It said the commercial fees imposed for its buses to operate from LaLaport did not align with its long-standing core principle of providing “value for money”, as the additional costs would ultimately be passed on to passengers.
In addition, the physical setup at LaLaport made it difficult to replicate the signature Aeroline experience that passengers expect, including comfortable waiting lounges, complimentary refreshments, as well as personalised assistance for ticketing and check-in.
Aeroline said its ticketing and reservation system also required a more sophisticated level of administrative and customer support compared to conventional bus operations.
“Replicating these service standards within the current operating framework would require substantial additional manpower, facilities, and operational expenditure on top of the existing commercial charges already imposed at the terminal.
“Ultimately, these compounded costs would make the entire proposal financially untenable without significantly compromising either service quality or affordability for our passengers,” it said.
The firm apologised to passengers who are experiencing inconvenience or confusion arising from the interim processes and operational adjustments it recently implemented.
“Please continue to stay connected through our official channels for updates regarding schedules, ticketing arrangements, and the continuation of our services outside the Kuala Lumpur city zone,” it said.
In January, transport minister Loke Siew Fook said express bus operators serving the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route were granted a moratorium to continue operating from their current pick-up points.
He said that operators must relocate once the Lalaport hub and other designated terminals were fully ready, aimed at ending disorganised roadside boarding in congested areas, particularly in front of hotels and shopping complexes, which pose risks to passenger safety and traffic flow.
Aeroline’s services were suspended for a month, from Nov 6 to Dec 5 last year, after the Land Public Transport Agency issued the operator three show-cause letters, citing the misuse of its operating licence by picking up and dropping off passengers at unauthorised locations.