SINGAPORE – Car rental company Hertz said it will continue to operate normally in Asia after its US and Canadian subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection last week.
Eoin MacNeill, Hertz's vice president, APAC, said that “it’s business as usual for Hertz in Asia”.
“The bankruptcy filing in the United States Courts “has no material impact on Hertz operations in Asia which each operate under franchise arrangements”.
“Hertz’s Asia Pacific locations remain open and all its reservation, loyalty and customer programmes continue to operate, including Hertz Gold Plus Rewards as well as our rewards, coupon and voucher programmes.
"Customers can expect the same high level of service and reliability with enhanced cleaning protocols for extra peace of mind,” said Mr MacNeill.
Hertz’s operations in Asia include Singapore, Guam, Saipan, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Brunei, Pakistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Macau, Japan, Philippines, Korea, India and Mainland China.
"The short-term, self-drive vehicle rental industry, of which Hertz is a key player, has been deeply impacted around the world by the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent downturn in domestic and international travel,” said Mr MacNeill.
Since the crisis began, Hertz in the US and Canada has taken measures to reduce costs and ensure the business remains as robust as possible. It has cut all discretionary spending, reduced labour costs, sought new rental agreements with landlords and began retiring some of its fleet and de-registering unused vehicles.