SEPANG: There is no government directive to halt flights to the Middle East, but airspace in the region has already been closed, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
“There is no directive per se. Even if we don’t issue an order, they can’t fly anyway.
“This is in line with Notam (Notice to Airmen) standards,” he told reporters at the Transport Expo Asia (TXA) 2025 yesterday.
Loke said several airlines, including Batik Air, were affected by the sudden closure of airspace due to heightened tensions in the region.
“It wasn’t something we could plan for. The airspace was shut suddenly, and Notams were issued without prior notice.
“All airlines – not just from Malaysia but also from Singapore and elsewhere – are impacted,” he said.
Loke said that airlines are expected to carry out their own mitigation plans, including rerouting flights or offering accommodation for stranded passengers until it is safe to resume operations.
“Normally, flights from Kuala Lumpur to destinations like London or Paris pass through Iran, but due to the current conflict between Iran and Israel, all flights have now opted for longer routes further north.
“From India, the planes enter Afghanistan airspace to avoid Iranian airspace,” he said.
Earlier, Loke launched TXA 2025, which he described as a platform to shape a “smarter, greener and more agile” future for Malaysia’s transport and trade ecosystem.
“This event bridges the gap between policy and implementation, and supports our national vision for a sustainable and competitive transport system.
“The organisation of TXA 2025 comes at an opportune time to leverage this momentum in transport and logistics performance.
“It aims to strengthen collaboration between government and industry in tackling the pressing challenges of globalisation, automation and sustainability,” he said.
TXA 2025, set to take place from Nov 11 to 13 here, is expected to gather over 80 exhibitors from multimodal transport, smart logistics, infrastructure, cold chain systems, automation and digital solutions.
Themed “Future On The Move: Digital, Sustainable Transport, Agile Logistics & ESG-Driven Supply Chains”, the event coincides with Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship, amplifying its regional significance.
“One of the key highlights of the event will be the Road Safety Congress 2025, which will return in 2026 as a dedicated annual programme.
“The congress aims to foster cross-sectoral collaboration in reducing road accidents and improving safety outcomes,” he said.
The three-day expo will include 25 thematic sessions and is expected to draw more than 3,000 trade visitors and 1,000 delegates, including government agencies, academia, GLCs and tech firms.
A gala dinner on Nov 13 will also feature a preview of the upcoming TXA Awards, to be formally presented during TXA 2026.
“The expo reflects Malaysia’s role as a regional leader in trade facilitation, digital logistics and sustainability transformation, bolstered by its rise to 26th place in the World Bank’s 2023 Logistics Performance Index and second in Asean after Singapore,” he said.
TXA is expected to become a biennial series, with plans for TXA 2026 already underway.
