Malaysia’s transport minister urges airlines to fix, reduce fares for upcoming festive season

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke has urged airlines in the country to fix or reduce their airfares for the upcoming festive season, in order to cater to the needs and welfare of the public. 

He was speaking during an event at the AirAsia headquarters on Wednesday (Dec 28), when the budget carrier announced that it will be operating extra flights at fixed fares to cater to increased demand during the upcoming festive season.

The late-night flights from Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru will go to destinations in the states of Sabah and Sarawak from Jan 17 to Jan 30. Fares will be capped at RM199 (US$45) or RM249, depending on the destination.

“We are pleased that AirAsia is committed to supporting the government’s initiative to bring down fares during the important festive season, despite their operational constraints.

“I encourage other airlines to emulate the same initiative or other initiatives which can reduce the airfares especially during the festive seasons. As we usher in the new year, we look forward to continuously working with industry players such as AirAsia to cater to the needs and welfare of the people,” said Mr Loke.

At the same time, the Seremban Member of Parliament said that the government has no plans to fix the prices for air tickets as it is confident that the aviation sector will pick up next year as China reopens its borders.

The minister was quoted as saying by Malay Mail that setting price ceilings for flights will adversely impact the airlines as such prices are dynamic in nature.

Mr Loke reportedly said that the price ceilings will have “negative implications” for the passengers, as flight operators may choose to reduce capacity.

“No (airline) operator will want to operate if it is a losing effort,” he said.

BATIK AIR DELAY DUE TO PILOTS EXCEEDING FLIGHT TIME LIMIT

Mr Loke also addressed the complaints by Batik Air passengers who were forced to spend the night at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last Thursday after their flight to Kuching, Sarawak was delayed.

Noting that he had been given a full report of the incident, Mr Loke said that the aircraft had been forced to divert to the island of Langkawi due to bad weather conditions.

“Once they landed in Langkawi, the pilots have passed their flying hours, so a new set of crew had to be flown in to Langkawi. Hence, this caused a few hours of delay for the flight,” he said in a video posted on the KiniTV YouTube page.

According to aviation magazine Flying, there are limits to the number of hours a pilot can fly, and that the minimum amount of rest between flights is a determining factor in how many hours a pilot will be able to fly an aircraft.

Mr Loke, however, said that this was not an excuse for the delay, but to highlight to the public the challenges faced by the airline industry.

“But we hope, in terms of communication with passengers, in terms of handling delayed flights, (the airlines) can be better (at it),” he said.

Batik Air Malaysia, was previously known as Malindo Air until April this year, has since expressed regret over the flight delay and has said it will contact all of the affected passengers to give them “special complimentary vouchers”.

At the AirAsia headquarters on Wednesday, Mr Loke advised the public to check with the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) on issues related to the refund policy of delayed flights, noting that the agency is the proper authority on such matters.

“I cannot handle every single complaint. So if there are any complaints, they can lodge (them) with Mavcom,” he told the media.