Batik Air offers fixed air fares for CNY, Raya

The airline’s new initiative aims to ease festive travel costs between the peninsula and East Malaysia.

Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the government had asked Batik Air to add flights for a few days to accommodate increased travel during the Chinese New Year period.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Batik Air has introduced fixed air fares for Chinese New Year, with plans to do the same for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, to help ease travel costs during the festive seasons.

Under its “Fixed Fares for Your Reunion” initiative, the airline is offering one-way tickets from KLIA or Subang to Kuching for RM318 and to Kota Kinabalu for RM378, for travel between Feb 13 and 16.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative at KL Sentral, transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the government had urged airlines to increase flight capacity and introduce price controls during festive seasons, including for Gawai, Kaamatan and Christmas.

e noted that Johor Bahru-Sibu is among the busiest routes during Chinese New Year, as Sibu serves as a key gateway to central Sarawak.

“That is why we asked Batik Air to add extra flights for a few days, even though it’s not part of their regular schedule,” he said.

Loke said the fixed fares were in line with the government’s policy to cap festive season airfares to Sabah and Sarawak at RM499 before taxes, with the government subsidising costs when fares exceed the cap.

“With this policy having been in place for the past two years, we no longer hear of air ticket prices surging to over RM1,000 for flights to Sabah and Sarawak,” he said. - FMT