Time to revamp aviation with Mavcom’s dissolution, CAAM’s empowerment

 

The transport ministry’s decision to dissolve the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and merge its roles and responsibilities into the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) is most timely.

This reform is long overdue and heralds the end of excessive bureaucracy in Malaysia’s aviation sector.

There is no doubt that airline passengers in Malaysia deserve better administration, while the transport services provided by commercial airlines require stricter scrutiny.

New governing body

As the new governing body, CAAM, must quickly address several matters.

One key area is the need for ceiling airfares for travel between Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah.

We don’t need to be reminded that there is no other alternative mode of transport to get to Sarawak and Sabah from the peninsula and vice versa.

As such, and for the sake of national integration, the costs of travelling between the two regions must be kept as low as possible.

Currently, airlines make it a habit to increase airfares during school holidays or whenever there are festivals in these regions. But operational costs do not simply rise because schools are on break or a music festival is taking place in Sarawak.

The reality is that airlines have too much freedom in setting their airfare structures, resulting in a lack of transparency.

They should be made to submit their flight schedules and fare tables when applying for or renewing their operating or services licences.

These fare tables must be stringently evaluated and approved by CAAM, as they were with Mavcom previously.

National integration agenda

Domestic flights are different from international markets where airlines compete in various sectors.

In the case of Sarawak and Sabah, these two regions are supposed to be linked to the peninsula for political, economic and social integration reasons.

Travelling by air between these three regions is not a luxury but a necessity. Airlines must be prevented from profiteering from their operations between the three regions and instead position themselves as providers of a social service.

There have been cases of domestic airlines merging their two flight schedules into one, presumably to save costs and make more profits. These airlines tend to escape censure because passengers rarely make official complaints about the cancellation of their flights.

One major reason this was the case was because Mavcom previously had a convoluted complaint process, which CAAM will hopefully discard.

CAAM must be fair to the affected passengers by simplifying the complaint process. Immediate action must be taken if airlines are found to have flouted regulations.

Clear information

CAAM must also provide clear and comprehensive information on the rights of air transport passengers, specifically concerning regulations on delays, cancellations and fare refunds.

Passengers need to be fully aware of what they are entitled to in these situations, ensuring that they can hold airlines accountable for disruptions.

Transparency in these areas will build trust between the airlines and their customers, fostering a more reliable and customer-friendly aviation sector.

Historically, certain airlines have been known not to comply with international air transport regulations when handling domestic passengers.

Such non-compliance has often left passengers without adequate recourse or compensation, leading to frustration and a sense of injustice.

It is imperative that CAAM enforces stringent adherence to these regulations to protect the rights of all passengers and ensure that airlines operate fairly and responsibly within Malaysia.

The new mandate given to CAAM by the government comes with a significant opportunity to address these longstanding issues.

This mandate should not be limited only to enforcing compliance but must also be seen as an opportunity to elevate the overall standards of air travel in the country.

By implementing robust regulatory frameworks and ensuring strict oversight, CAAM can help create a more efficient, fair, and high-quality aviation sector that meets international standards and better serves the needs of the traveling public. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.