After 20 years, Aeroline will no longer have Kuala Lumpur as a stop on its coach routes.
The coach operator, which runs services between Singapore and Malaysia, including to Johor Bahru and Penang, announced the news in a Facebook post on May 30. It did not say when it will officially pull out of Kuala Lumpur.
Aeroline cited issues such as years of operational challenges, rising costs and a complex operating environment.
“For over two decades, the sight of our iconic yellow Aeroline buses navigating the streets of Kuala Lumpur has been a symbol of hassle-free and reliable travel. It is therefore with a heavy heart that we announce a major transition: Aeroline buses will officially make an exit from Kuala Lumpur,” it wrote.
Aeroline noted that the news may come as a shock to many of its passengers and said the decision stems from a “systemic regulatory challenge” that the company has been navigating for the past 15 years.
“It truly has been an exhausting journey for us and if given the opportunity, we hope to share the deeper history of this unbelievable journey with you,” the brand said, adding that it wants to lay out the facts of its current situation transparently.
Aeroline shared that previously, when Corus KLCC was no longer suitable to remain as an Aeroline station, it relocated to TRX in the interim. This move made it more convenient for passengers as it was near the country’s only MRT exchange.
However, on May 13, Aeroline received a “strict directive” stating that it was only permitted to operate from licensed terminals and that, under current regulations, the only licensed stations for Aeroline are at 1 Utama, LaLaport and IOI City Mall.
“This has placed us in an impossible conundrum for our Kuala Lumpur passengers,” Aeroline said.
The coach operator explained that the commercial fees imposed for its buses and passengers to use LaLaport do not align with its long-standing core value of providing value for money.
“We believe it is neither fair nor right to simply pass these unprecedented costs on to our passengers,” it said.
Aeroline added that if they were to move to LaLaport, it would also be difficult for them to replicate the signature experience passengers know the brand for, which includes waiting lounges, complimentary refreshments and personalised assistance for ticketing, check-in and account-related enquiries.
On top of that, Aeroline said that its ticketing and reservation system requires a more “sophisticated level of administrative and customer support”, than 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,” the coach operator explained.
“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 also apologised to passengers who have experienced inconvenience or confusion arising from the interim process and operational adjustments the company has recently implemented, and asked customers to be patient as it navigates the transition.
“These measures were not introduced lightly, but have become necessary as we navigate an increasingly challenging regulatory environment, including active enforcement against our buses and licenses, which puts us at a heightened risk of disruptions, especially during this peak season.”
Not the first time
This is not the first time Aeroline had to deal with issues regarding its stops in Malaysia’s capital.
In Nov 2025, its bus services to Kuala Lumpur were suspended for about a month by Malaysian authorities because they continued dropping passengers off at its own locations rather than at a centralised bus terminal.
The bus company was warned to change its services to an approved terminal, Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, which translates to southern integrated terminal.
This is despite the terminal’s location almost 13km away from Kuala Lumpur’s city centre.
Still, as the chapter comes to a close, Aeroline said it is grateful for the support it has received over the past two decades.
“Thank you for trusting us with your journeys, your families and your time. It has been our honour and privilege to serve you.
“While this chapter is coming to a close, our journey is far from over. We remain deeply committed to serving our passengers across our other hubs and routes, while continuing to uphold the standards of safety, comfort, reliability, and hospitality that you have come to expect from Aeroline,” the coach operator wrote.
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melissateo@asiaone.com
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