Selangor Journal
People are seen adhering to the standard operating procedure (SOP) by wearing face masks at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Sepang, on December 8, 2021. — Picture by BERNAMA

Capital A confident Malaysia’s airport tax will remain reasonable as govt aims to boost tourism

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — Capital A Bhd, the parent company of low-cost airline AirAsia, has expressed confidence that local airport tax charges imposed by the government will remain reasonable as part of the effort to boost tourism in the country.

Chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the government has always been pro-consumer, especially in efforts to promote a low-cost environment for tourists in the post-Covid era.

“The important thing is to drive tourists here and cost makes a difference,” he told a press conference after launching the airline’s five million free seats campaign here today.

He was replying to a question on the Transport Ministry’s proposed operating agreement 2023 with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which might see higher aeronautical tariffs that could be later passed on to passengers.

The government had in August 2019 announced that the passenger services charges (PSC) rate for passengers travelling outside of Asean from all airports in Malaysia, except Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has been revised downward from RM73 to RM50 effective October 1, 2019.

The PSC rate for domestic and Asean flights at all airports remains at RM11 and RM35, respectively.

Fernandes said Loke, who recovered his position as transport minister following the 15th General Election, has always been stern in ensuring the airline industry promotes low fares.

He also noted that the tourism sector made a significant contribution to Malaysia’s economy last year, which grew by 8.7 per cent – the highest in over two decades.

“(We need to question) what we want. Do we want more tourists or do we want fewer by having high charges everywhere?

“Malaysia is very affordable. If you think about hotel rooms and flights, we’re an amazing country to come to. So we should be focusing on making this a very value-driven destination,” he stressed.

Earlier, AirAsia announced its five million free-seats campaign to domestic and international destinations as part of its commitment to boost the tourism industry across Asean.

Guests can fly to Penang, Langkawi, Kuching, Sibu, Kota Kinabalu and more from RM23 and to international destinations including Bali, Krabi, Jakarta, Macao, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and more from RM60.

For long-haul destinations, AirAsia X offers flights to Gold Coast, Busan, Taipei, Tokyo and more with all-in low fares from RM329 one-way on economy seats.

Flights are available for booking starting today until February 19 with the travel period between March 1 and December 10, 2023.

— Bernama

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