AirAsia must ensure welfare of passengers not affected during Wesak, Gawai holidays - Nanta

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) wants the welfare of AirAsia passengers to no longer be affected ahead of several public holidays such as Wesak Day this Sunday and Gawai Festival next month.

Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said he had raised the matter in the recent KPDNHEP-AirAsia engagement session.

"In this issue, KPDNHEP will continue to protect the rights of consumers while the operations will be scrutinised according to the jurisdiction of the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) and the Ministry of Transport.

"The solution taken by AirAsia to reduce operational disruptions is to implement rescue flights for stranded passengers such as KCH-KL (Kuching-Kuala Lumpur) or MYY-KL (Miri-Kuala Lumpur)," he tweeted today.

If Rapid Rail can provide one-way travel coupons to commuters affected by an incident yesterday, he said AirAsia should also come out with an appropriate quantum of compensation for its passengers.

As of May 9, Nanta said the number of passenger complaints sent directly to AirAsia was almost consistent, namely about 60 to 80 complaints per month.

Meanwhile, the number of AirAsia passenger complaints received by MAVCOM between January and April recorded a downward trend, he said.

"According to AirAsia, more than 90 per cent of complaints have been resolved. AirAsia has identified four main causes that contribute to flight delays and rescheduling involving various destinations namely limited number of aircraft, operational and regulatory constraints, technical issues and weather conditions," he added.

-- BERNAMA