Ticket prices for one-way economy-class flights to East Malaysia will be capped at RM599 for three days before Christmas celebrations this year, transport minister Anthony Loke announced. More specifically, this initiative will commence from 22 December 2023 and will be offered via airline operators including AirAsia, Firefly, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air.
This arrives as part of the new policy that was recently approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, where all economy-based flight fares to East Malaysia (Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan) during key holiday seasons in Malaysia will be subsidised by the government. However, the subsidy does not include taxes or additional fees imposed by airline operators.
“The government often receives complaints about high airfares, especially from those originally from Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan who now live, work or study in the Peninsula,” the transport minister said during the announcement of the initiative in Putrajaya today. “With air transportation being the primary transportation mode, some of them have to fork out over RM1,000 for a one-way ticket to return to their hometowns which is burdensome.”
Additionally, Loke mentioned that these tickets cannot undergo change in dates or passenger names, and they are non-refundable. He also noted there may be other variations to the terms and conditions that are offered by certain airlines. For flight tickets that cost less than RM599 for the routes in question, the transport minister said these will be sold at the original prices set by airlines.
In related news, the ministry of transport and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) recently facilitated as many as 114 additional flights between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. Loke said this strategy has resulted in a positive impact, where ticket prices from Kuala Lumpur to major destinations in Sabah and Sarawak had declined by 5% to 33% as of 15 December 2023, compared to the week before.
(Source: The Edge / New Straits Times)
