PSC in Malaysia ‘one of the lowest’

PETALING JAYA: The Passenger Service Charge (PSC) or airport tax in the country is among the lowest in the region and has not been raised over the last few years, says an aviation expert.
"If a study were carried out on the level of service and quality of international airports in the country, it would be easily proved they provide high quality service.
"This level of service, including lack of congestion and easy access to the airports, do not reflect the PSC that is being charged," he said.
The expert said the PSC in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Singapore is far higher, at the equivalent of RM110 for Vietnam, RM110 for Myanmar, RM92 for Thailand and RM104 for Singapore.
He said all airlines that use airport facilities have to pay the charges as stated, will no exemptions.
Meanwhile, AirAsia Berhad chief executive office Aireen Omar said the increase in tax will be a direct burden to be shouldered by the people.
This would make air travel more expensive and reduce overall demand for services offered by all airlines operating in Malaysia, crimping tourism, threatening jobs and hurting the economy.
The airline said in a statement that the facilities at klia2 are far inferior to those in KLIA as there is no aerotrain, a lack of walkalators, long walking distances and smaller gates with poor boarding efficiency, just to name a few.
It added that the differences between the two terminals alone are obvious reasons why the PSC should not be the same.
Malaysia Airlines Berhad said it welcomed the announcement on equal PSC for both airports.
It said in a statement that some 51 airlines, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) have all requested equal charges between the old terminal and the super new facility at klia2.
The airline said equal charges will allow the airport authority to invest in vital repairs and upgrades of the 18-year-old KLIA terminal to match the super new facilities at klia2, adding that this would also allow Malaysia Airlines to compete on a rational basis in bringing down fares.