KUCHING, April 11: The Federal Ministry of Transport has been urged to look into reducing air fares for Sarawakians returning to the State for Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Chief political secretary to the Premier of Sarawak Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman took note that the prices of flights from West Malaysia to Sarawak has increased particularly as the celebration draws closer.
“I understand the worry and frustration of Sarawakians who are living outside of the State who wish to return home in time for Hari Raya Aidilfitri after being separated from their families due to Covid-19 in the past few years.
“Checks made of the websites of the airlines saw that the air ticket prices for flights have already skyrocketed despite only being a week into the fasting month.
“This meant that one Sarawakian would have to spend more than double than the usual air fare if they were to return home for the festive season,” he said in a statement today.
He also noted that this could be a burden for Sarawakians especially to those who had only started working in West Malaysia as well as young families as they would be forced to miss the trip home due to exorbitant air ticket prices.
Thus, with the rising demand for flights back to Sarawak, he urged the airlines to sympathise with the predicament of the members of the public and reduce air ticket prices by offering more flights.
“I also urge the Federal Transport Ministry to look into the matter and ensure that they would see to it that the airfares are reduced.
“With increased frequency of flights, it would lead to a drop in the air ticket prices, making the trip home more affordable for Sarawakians.
“There is little justification on why the flights needs to be limited from West Malaysia to Sarawak particularly when the country’s borders are being reopened and travel resumes as usual,” he added. — DayakDaily
