SEPANG: Domestic airlines will increase 291 flights based on the demand for the Chinese New Year, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
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He said the Malaysia Aviation Commission (Mavcom) had approved 291 domestic flights from Jan 18 to 31 in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak to ensure that people would have the chance to return to their hometowns to celebrate the festival.
Loke thanked the airlines for supporting the government’s agenda to increase flights to facilitate those returning home to celebrate the festival, especially those from Sabah and Sarawak.
Loke also called on the airlines to extend this initiative for the Hari Raya, Gawai, and other festivals.
“The issue of high ticket prices due to dynamic pricing has been a long-standing grouse, particularly for those travelling to and from Sabah and Sarawak,” he said when launching Batik Air’s new destinations to Tokyo, Sapporo and Osaka, Japan as well as extra flights to Sabah and Sarawak for the Chinese New Year.
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Loke said Batik Air’s increase of 35 flights from Jan 18 to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, with fairly competitive fixed prices of RM299 and RM399 respectively, will provide more affordable travel this Chinese New Year.
“I believe Batik Air has also rationalised the balanced that I spoke of and subsequently, has added 42 extra flights from Subang Skypark to Johor Baru, Penang, Kota Baru and Langkawi during the same time, offering a fixed price of RM259 one-way all-inclusive,” he said.
Loke also said the surge of flight demand is foreseen in 2023, as the aviation industry transitions back to normalcy as pre-Covid times.
Also present at the event were Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Takahashi Katsuhiko, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abdul Rahman, Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kassim, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, Lion Group strategy director Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy and Batik Air CEO Captain Mushafiz Mustafa Bakri.-The Star