Sabah PAS man sets out ways to cope with surging airfares

 Among the proposals are special fares for family emergencies, advance purchases on critical routes, and extending festive season flight subsidies to include school holidays.

Sabah PAS information chief Mustaman Mustain said air travel to Peninsular Malaysia had become an essential need for Sabahans, particularly those from lower-income groups. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

A Sabah PAS leader has proposed several initiatives for the federal government to implement, including an emergency fare scheme and block bookings, to counter the surge in airfares to East Malaysia.

Sabah PAS information chief Mustaman Mustain said air travel has become an essential need for Sabahans, particularly those from lower-income groups, who fly to Peninsular Malaysia for work, education and emergencies.

Among his proposals for the airfare problem were:

• a special fare scheme for family emergencies;
• festive season flight subsidies be extended to other peak periods such as school holidays and semester breaks;
• flight capacity be set aside at reasonable fares on East-West routes during peak periods;
• an advance purchase scheme or block bookings on critical routes, such as between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau.

Mustaman said a fare scheme for family emergencies would help those who are forced to cancel trips to attend funerals due to the high fares. There were cases of families being stranded in their hometowns for almost two months because of the high airfares, while students worried about not being able to return to their universities.

“It shows that this issue (expensive airfares) has a real impact on people’s lives,” Mustaman was quoted by the Borneo Post as saying in response to a news report that airfares between East and West Malaysia had surged over 200%.

Festive season subsidised fares should be extended to peak periods such as school holidays and semester breaks, he said. The government currently maintains a RM599 ceiling for festive season East-West flights.

Airlines should reserve part of their capacity on Sabah-Peninsular Malaysia routes at reasonable fares during periods of high demand, Mustaman said. “This would be better than simply increasing subsidies because the problem is not just about prices. Flight capacity also plays a role.”

The government should also set up a system to detect unusual price increases early, so that action can be taken, he said.

Last Saturday, Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud said his ministry will discuss with the transport ministry to find ways to address the sudden increase in flight fares involving the two states. He said operating costs of airlines had risen following the global energy crisis. - FMT