Dr Wee upset KL-Tawau air ticket costs over RM3,000

KUALA LUMPUR: The high price of a one-way flight ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau is shocking and disappointing, says former transport minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).

He said the RM3,138 fare for an economy class air ticket on April 20 is shocking and disappointing, especially for those who are public transport users.

"Checks showed that an economy class ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau during Hari Raya Aidilfitri (which falls on April 21 to 23) costs RM3,138,” said Dr Wee.

"Last year, when the borders were newly opened on April 1, 2022, the airfare at the time was above RM1,000 as not many aircraft were allowed to operate,” he added.

He said that at the time, aircraft had to go through the maintenance, repairs and operations (MRO) process for three months for the safety of the people before they were allowed to operate.

"As the then-Transport Minister, I was heavily criticised yet I tried my very best to handle the situation," he said in a statement on Facebook on Saturday (April 15).

The MCA president then questioned how the B40 and M40 groups who are in other parts of Malaysia were going to celebrate the festive season this year if the cost of tickets are that high.

"I would like to reiterate that we are no longer facing the Covid-19 pandemic. The aviation sector has gradually recovered and most of the aircraft are no longer grounded,” said Dr Wee.

"Airlines have no excuse not to increase the frequency of flights as long as there is capacity. The passenger load is no longer capped at 50% like during the pandemic, which justified the high airfare," he added.

Dr Wee then said that the frequency of flights are no longer controlled by the Sabah or Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee and added that MYAirline started operations on Dec 1, 2022.

He added that the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has approved more flights, just like it was before the pandemic.

"I urge the airlines to reconsider the high airfares and be considerate to the people as this has caused a huge burden on them,” said Dr Wee.

"Please do not give out the impression that the airlines are out to recover their losses suffered during the pandemic within a short period of time by exploiting the current situation and imposing higher airfares,” he added.

Dr Wee then said that the standard answer from the government is that the airfares are determined by dynamic pricing mechanism and the government has no control over the airfares.

"However no matter who the current government is, such an answer by the Transport Ministry will be a hard pill to swallow for the people," he said.