| Airline: | SKS Airways |
| Fleet Size: | 2 |
| Destinations: | 3 |
| Iata: | KI |
| Icao: | SJB |
| Callsign: | SOUTHERN TIGER |
| Parent: | SKS Group |
| Founded: | [1] |
| Commenced: | [2] |
| Key People: | Dato' Rohman Ahmad (Director)[3] |
| Hubs: | Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport |
SKS Airways is a regional airline based in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Founded in November 2017, the airline received its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) in October 2021 and began its first commercial operations on January 25, 2022, with a flight from Subang to Pangkor. Its flights have been suspended since November 2023.[4]
Founded in November 2017,[5] SKS Airways received its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) in October 2021[6] and commenced its first commercial flight from Subang to Pangkor on January 25, 2022.[7] [8] The airline added its first DHC 6-300 Twin Otter to its fleet on July 15, 2019, followed by a second Twin Otter on December 23, 2020.
In 2021, reports indicated that SKS Airways was planning to order ATR 72-500 aircraft, as job postings for ATR72-500 pilots and cabin crew appeared online, and the aircraft was featured in a Malaysia Independence Day advertisement.[9] [10] However, these plans did not come to fruition, and there have been no further mentions of the ATR aircraft since
On May 25, 2023, SKS Airways signed a lease agreement for 10 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft with Azorra Aviation during the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA). The airline also entered into a long-term services agreement with Embraer for spare parts, parts repair, maintenance and fleet monitoring. These aircraft were intended to support the airline's regional expansion based at Kuala Lumpur's Subang Airport.
However, on November 20, 2023, SKS Airways suspended all flights. While the online booking portal remained active, no flights were available for booking. The New Straits Times reported that the airline was under significant financial strain due to unprofitable operations and limited funding sources. Despite SKS Airways denying financial difficulties, they did not provide reasons for halting operations.
On July 10, 2024, SKS Airways announced it had canceled its plans to lease the Embraer E195-E2 jets from Azorra Aviation. This decision came after failing to secure a sufficient number of slots at Kuala Lumpur Subang Airport to support the jet operations. The original agreement with Azorra and Embraer in May 2023 aimed to introduce the E195-E2s by early 2024 to drive new growth opportunities.[11]
Prior to November 2023, SKS Airways served the following scheduled passenger destinations:[12] [13]
| Country | State | City | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | Pahang | Tioman Island | Tioman Airport |
| Selangor | Kuala Lumpur | Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport | |
| Terengganu | Redang Island | Redang Airport |
As of May 2023, the SKS Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft:[14]