KUCHING, Dec 22: Airline companies are advised to sell flight tickets while the public are advised to buy air tickets based on Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) approved flight schedule and frequency.
The Sarawak Transport Ministry (MOTS) said this is to avoid unnecessary hassle and inconveniences.
The Ministry said its minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin has received complaints from some passengers that some airlines had accepted their bookings and their fares were paid accordingly but later the flights were cancelled.
The airlines did not refund the passengers after flight cancellation but retained the amount as credit.
In response to the complaints, MOTS said Lee had personally spoken to the Federal Deputy Transport Minister today and the latter informed Lee that the federal Transport Ministry will work out with the airline companies on the passengers’ request to refund the cancelled flights.
“In this regard, we are reminding all airlines to follow the SDMC approved flight schedule and frequency to Sarawak when promoting as well as selling air tickets to the public.
“In this respect, passengers should be refunded their air ticket fare either by cash or credit direct to their bank account because the flight was cancelled by the airlines since it was not listed in the SDMC approved list. We have communicated with the Ministry of Transport, Kuala Lumpur on this matter,” MOTS quoted Lee in a statement today.
MOTS pointed out that it has been seriously and consistently monitoring the flight schedule and frequency into Sarawak in tandem with the decision of SDMC.
“In fact, MOTS is also working closely with all relevant authorities on air transport, which include Ministry of Transport, Malaysia, Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM), Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to ensure that the airlines strictly comply with decisions made by SDMC to curtail the spread of Covid-19 in Sarawak.”
“SDMC has decided that flight schedule and frequency from outside into Sarawak for each airline since Oct 1, 2020,” said MOTS.
The frequency and flight schedule are as follows:
MOTS said it sought cooperation of all airlines to fully utilise the use of aerobridge in all Sarawak airports.
“This issue had caused great inconveniences and safety concerns to passengers especially the elderly, small children and people with special needs. We hope that the airlines are sensitive to the needs of these passengers in the State, more so during this raining season,” said MOTS.
MOTS expressed confident that all the stakeholders involved especially the airline operators, airport operators and passengers will play their roles with full integrity and work together in complying with the approved flight schedule and frequency as well as the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Sarawak. — DayakDaily
