By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, April 11: It has been the norm and an annual experience for flight fares to increase during festive seasons even before Covid-19, said Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Responding to complaints and feedback on skyrocketing flight fares from Peninsular Malaysia to Sarawak for the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, Abdul Karim also advised consumers to plan their trips early and not wait until the last minute to buy their tickets.
On top of that, with the reopening of the country’s borders from April 1, he said this is expected because many people who were unable to travel are eagerly looking forward to returning to their hometowns.
“All these are what we call ‘demand and supply’. However, we must look at things from another perspective as well. Airlines cannot bring fares to the bottom and remain that way, although this is what consumers want.
“On the other hand, we understand consumer’s grievance and will continue to discuss and see what these airlines can do to resolve the issue,” Abdul Karim said after welcoming passengers from Penang to Kuching on Firefly’s inaugural flight at Kuching International Airport today.
Meanwhile, while responding to a question if the government will interfere by setting ceiling prices, Abdul Karim asserts there is none at the moment.
“While I believe there should be a ceiling price, I am sure airlines will not simply hike up the fares at their whims and fancy.
“However, if you tell me a one-way flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching has gone up to more than one thousand ringgit, then this is absurd,” he said.
On increasing the number of flight frequencies, Abdul Karim affirmed that airlines could not just add flights.
Such a process, he said, will take time to arrange or rearrange flight schedules because these planes usually fly to several sectors per day.
“Therefore, plan and buy your plane ticket early if you want to travel. Do not wait until the last minute when the flight has few seats left. By then, prices will naturally go up,” Abdul Karim advised. — DayakDaily
