Selangor Journal
AirAsia planes are seen parked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2, during the movement control order due to the outbreak of Covid-19, in Sepang, on April 14, 2020. — Picture by REUTERS

Transport Ministry orders airlines to rectify issues

PUTRAJAYA, May 10 — Following grievances and grouses by airlines passengers of late over delays, rescheduling as well as technical issues, the Transport Ministry (MOT) has instructed the airlines involved to immediately rectify the issues experienced by passengers.

Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said the MOT and its aviation-related agencies, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) have received and investigated passengers’ reports and feedback on their experience.

He said much of the complaints could be attributed to higher-than-usual passenger traffic during the festive season with the airlines having to fully utilise their aircraft fleet to meet demand.

In a statement today, Wee said aircraft that faced technical issues were taken out of service for more thorough maintenance.

As of today, all of the complaints related to rescheduling and flight backlog have been rectified and put back on a normal track, he said.

“In the interest of safety and technical compliance to civil aviation regulations and passenger comfort, the ministry has tasked airlines to better monitor technical issues related to flight service and better communicate these issues to passengers in order to reduce inconvenience,” Wee said.

According to Wee, the authorities have reprimanded the parties involved to ensure strict compliance to technical, economic, and safety regulations and will not hesitate to take action against operators that fail to do so.

He said the ministry and its agencies will also continue to monitor aviation service providers to ensure full and uncompromising compliance with maintenance and technical upkeep.

“Equally importantly, it is vital for airlines to also improve their communication channels to their passengers and customers to keep them properly informed of flight statuses,” Wee said.

In the past few days, passengers of local airlines had channelled their grievances via social media over delays, rescheduling flights as well as technical issues such as air-conditioning not functioning.

— Bernama

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