AirAsia's Aireen sets the record straight on Bung Mokhtar's claims

PETALING JAYA: Air Asia Bhd CEO Aireen Omar has set the record straight on Member of Parliament for Kinabatangan Bung Mokhtar Radin's claims that the airline had charged RM2,000 for a one-way flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan, and invites him for a "constructive dialogue session".
Aireen said in a statement that an average one-way fare for the route is RM213 and even during peak seasons where the load factor is 100% the highest the fare could go is up to RM1180—which she claims is still the lowest in the market.

"There are also no 'hidden charges' as alleged by the MP. AirAsia guests have the option of choosing how they want to fly and what products they wish to pay for, and all fees and charges are clearly stated on our website and mobile app," she added.
Aireen also extended an invitation to Bung to work with the airline to develop and grow the travel and tourism industry as well as to review the differences in facilities and services between airport terminals in Malaysia.
AirAsia was the first airline to provide connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and Sandakan with direct flights.
Starting with four times weekly, the frequency has since been increased to 18 times a week and five million guests flown to date.
Bung had complained in a recent Parliament session that the exorbitant fare was charged by the low-cost carrier. He also claimed that he saw some villagers being forced to buy new tickets after they arrived late for boarding.
Deputy Transport Minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi said he had discussed with the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) to look into the matter.
At 2.50pm, AirAsia shares fell 4 sen or 1.2% to RM3.17 on some 4.7 million shares done.