MOT orders airlines to rectify issues

PUTRAJAYA: Following grievances and grouses by airlines passengers of late over delays, rescheduling as well as technical issues, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) has instructed the airlines involved to immediately rectify the issues experienced by passengers.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the MOT and its aviation-related agencies, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) have received and investigated passengers' reports and feedback on their experience.

Stating that the government sympathises with the plight of the passengers, Wee said much of the complaints could be attributed to higher-than-usual passenger traffic during the festive season with the airlines having to fully utilise their aircraft fleet to meet demand.

Wee in a statement today said aircraft that faced technical issues were taken out of service for more thorough maintenance.

As of today, all of the complaints related to rescheduling and flight backlog have been rectified and put back on a normal track, he said.

"In the interest of safety and technical compliance to civil aviation regulations and passenger comfort, the ministry has tasked airlines to better monitor technical issues related to flight service and better communicate these issues to passengers in order to reduce inconvenience," he said.

According to Wee, the authorities have reprimanded parties involved to ensure strict compliance to technical, economic, and safety regulations and will not hesitate to take action against operators that fail to do so.

He said the Ministry and its agencies will also continue to monitor aviation service providers to ensure full and uncompromising compliance with maintenance and technical upkeep.

"Equally importantly, it is vital for airlines to also improve their communication channels to their passengers and customers to keep them properly informed of flight statuses," he said.

In the past few days, passengers of local airlines had channelled their grievances via social media over delays, rescheduling flights as well as technical issues such as air-conditioning not functioning.

-- BERNAMA