Big mess in the air and on the ground

Heads should roll after debacles at MAS and MAHB.

“THERE’S an ineffable joy in spotting that Niner Mike tail from a distant land, a symbol of home, my beacon back to Kuala Lumpur’s embrace”.

This eloquent quote from my friend Abbi Kanthasamy’s Facebook post a few days ago encap- sulates my feelings and no doubt, millions of other Malaysians towards our national carrier.

As Abbi puts it, “it’s not just a carrier; it’s Malaysia’s heart, soaring high and proud. The pride of the nation, encapsulated in every flight.”

But affection and goodwill from your passengers can only get you so far. Malaysia Airlines has come under a maelstrom of criticism this last week or so over its catering fiasco.

The longstanding contract between Malaysia Airlines and its anchor caterer, Brahim’s Food Services (BFS), ended on Aug 31, 2023 after both parties failed to reach an amicable agreement.

BFS had managed the airline’s in-flight food and beverage requirements for a lengthy period of time but many analysts had viewed the lopsided deal as being overly generous to the company.

Despite announcing in advance the intention to end their partnership, the lack of planning and foresight to replace the caterer was shocking. Even now, a replacement has not been found; instead, Malaysia Airlines has been forced to scramble and utilise its own in-house catering, creating a temporary central kitchen that has proven to be grossly inadequate in meeting its F&B requirements.

From Sept 1, passengers have received email notifications with the topic, “In-flight meal changes”. The email states that the airline is currently in the process of transitioning to a new in-flight catering service on selected domestic and international routes. And as a result, passengers may notice variations in their meal offerings.

“We wish to reassure you that this change is temporary. Our team remains resolute in our commitment to restore our services on all affected flights as soon as possible.”

Scrambling to contain the fallout from this farce, the national carrier scored another own goal when it released a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on its website, which includes a point about allowing passengers to bring their own food.

This has predictably been met with derision and scorn by netizens who quickly took to social media lamenting the airline’s unprofessional and inadequate planning.

The in-flight catering debacle is just the latest in a series of missteps that has damaged the reputation of a once-admired carrier. Ageing planes, high and non-competitive prices, poor quality of meals, flight delays and reduced destinations – these setbacks have served to erode trust and confidence.

Lest we forget, Malaysia Airlines used to be one of the top 10 airlines in the world.

This, however, changed drastically over the past decade amid poor management and continuous losses despite billions of ringgit in government bailout.

So, the big question is, who is to blame for the airline’s sad state of affairs? The management must shoulder some responsibility of course, but fingers should also be pointed at its parent company.

Malaysia Airlines is owned by Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), which in turn is 100%-owned by the country’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The airline’s downturn has also coincided with the decline in quality of the KL International Airport (KLIA). Our biggest airport as well as 38 others are owned and operated by Malaysia Airports Holding Bhd (MAHB). And, you guessed it right, MAHB is owned by Khazanah (as well as other state funds).

KLIA’s woes have been well documented. Baggage handling issues, inadequate and unclean toilets, lack of front line manpower, especially Immigration officers, and of course the big one – the aerotrain debacle.

It is inexcusable that the primary transport from the main terminal to the satellite building has been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. What message are we sending to tourists and foreign visitors when the first thing they are asked to do upon disembarking from the plane is to be herded into buses before reaching the Immigration counters?

It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth because KLIA is the main entry point to the country.

We’ve been told that a new aerotrain will only be operational in two years’ time, but even this seems farfetched as rectification works have not even started because the original contractor tasked with the job has been terminated.

It’s laughable that Transport Minister Anthony Loke actually came out with a statement to say that he wants KLIA to compete with Singapore’s Changi Airport.

To put things in perspective, in the most recent World Airport Survey, KLIA fell five spots to 67 while Changi Airport was voted the world’s best.

The one commonality for both Malaysia Airlines and MAHB is Khazanah. Its management of two of the country’s biggest assets should be called into question. How on earth have we allowed this situation to reach rock bottom?

The reputation of both our national carrier and main gateway and entry point has been hurt, but not irrevocably. If we are to reclaim the glory days, heads should roll. It’s time for hard decisions to be made.

The Malaysian taxpayer is entitled to a degree of transparency and accountability from the country’s flag bearers.