Mavcom to probe into Eaglexpressair long flight delays

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) will initiate investigation into Eaglexpressair long flight delays which have left hundreds of Umrah pilgrims stranded.
Mavcom executive chairman General (R) Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad said they will take stern action against the airline if any wrongdoing is found.
"Mavcom is investigating and will take stern action if need be," Abdullah told theSun through text yesterday.
About 250 pilgrims are stranded in a hotel in Nilai when their flights to Jeddah on 5 Dec was canceled.
They were told multiple times that their flight would be rescheduled to 6 Dec, then to 8 Dec, then to 10 Dec, then to 12 Dec, and the latest was a flight at 6.30pm yesterday.
However, the flight was cancelled as stated on the KLIA flight schedule and pilgrims are still waiting for a solution to the matter.
A pilgrim who preferred anonymity told theSun that the travel agency they hired, Al-Fajr Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd informed him that they are doing their best to put them on a flight within a week's time.
"I spoke to Al-Fajr just now and they said they will look for a flight to fly us there within a week. Don't even dream of (jangan harap) getting a flight on Saturday or Sunday," he said.
When contacted, Civil Aviation Department (DCA) director general Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said Eaglexpressair complies to all DCA regulations and to his knowledge, the airline could not obtain permission to land in Jeddah and unaware of the reasons behind it.
Eaglexpressair said in a statement on Wednesday that it is working closely with authorities in Saudi Arabia to confirm landing slots.
theSun's attempt to contact Eaglexpressair and Al-Fajr for comment turned futile.