PETALING JAYA: Flight and bus operators are gearing up for Hari Raya Aidiladha, with airlines and bus companies reporting steady ticket demand.
For rail, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) is also adding extra services to meet the expected surge in travel.
Batik Air Malaysia said Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Langkawi are currently among the highest-booked destinations, reflecting continued demand for hometown and leisure routes during the festive period.
Its chief executive officer, Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, said Batik Air is seeing encouraging travel demand ahead of the Hari Raya Aidiladha period, particularly for routes favoured by balik kampung travellers and holidaymakers.
“Domestic travel has not reached 50% as of now, but it will pick up closer to festive dates as many travellers tend to make last-minute travel plans with special promo near those dates.
“For international travel, Denpasar, Dhaka and Jakarta are leading in bookings, with current load factors at about 50% and demand expected to rise closer to the peak period,” he said.
He noted that Batik Air also continues to offer limited-time promotional fares across selected routes from time to time, and passengers are encouraged to check the official website and booking platforms on travel deals.
Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali said travel patterns for this year’s Hari Raya Aidiladha are proving unpredictable as the holidays fall on weekdays.
“There are two working days on Thursday and Friday (May 28 and 29). Celebrants may return home earlier, while non-celebrants might travel during Wesak Day or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s birthday.
“Some may not have secured leave yet. As a result, people are not travelling at the same time,” he explained.
Mohamad Ashfar noted that ticket demand from Singapore to Malaysia remains modest, with bus operators recording about 50% of seats sold so far.
“There is still time. Perhaps people are waiting until the last moment to buy tickets, or they may choose to take the train or drive instead,” he said.
“In contrast, demand for east coast destinations such as Terengganu, Kelantan, and Kota Baru is strong, with Klang Valley passengers filling 90% to 100% of available bus tickets, according to operators,” he added.
In an earlier statement on May 8, KTMB said it will operate 186 additional train services from May 22 to June 7 to meet increased demand, covering both ETS and Electric Multiple Unit Plus (EMU+) services.
“The additional trains will provide a total capacity of 58,380 seats during the festive and holiday period,” KTMB said.
The additional KTMB services will connect KL Sentral to Ipoh, Butterworth, Padang Besar, JB Sentral, as well as from Klang to Ipoh through the EMU+.
KTMB will also run the special Ekspres Lambaian Aidiladha service to the East Coast, which involves two journeys with 912 tickets offered, with 447 tickets already sold as of early this month.
