KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has undertaken many initiatives to benefit consumers and industry players since its establishment in March 2016 under the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015.
Executive chairman Dr Nungsari Radhi in highlighting the initiatives said it included the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (2016) (MACPC), which ensured consumers only paid for those services they opted for.
“We have also eliminated hidden charges such as the klia2 fee. Meanwhile, payment processing fees cannot be charged separately from the base fare. We believe these measures, resulting in greater transparency, allows consumers to enjoy monetary savings and make more informed decisions.
“We also believe aviation consumer complaints are now being taken more seriously, and refunds to passengers within 30 days from the date of request,” he said in a statement today.
The statement was in response to recent allegations against Mavcom by AirAsia group chief executive officer, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.
He had on Monday, commented via his LinkedIn profile, that Mavcom had failed the aviation sector while giving seven reasons.
Responding to these, Nungsari said the Commission had from January 2018 to August 2019, issued over 93% of Air Traffic Rights (ATR) applied by airlines.
This, he also said, was in accordance with a transparent process introduced by Mavcom following consultation with the airlines, including AirAsia.
“AirAsia is, in fact, a major beneficiary with more than 50% of all ATRs awarded during this period being allocated to it. We further note that 24% of these ATRs granted to AirAsia, were subsequently returned unutilised,” he added.
He said Mavcom also introduced FlySmart, which is a consumer-centric initiative, as part of efforts to champion consumer rights in the aviation sector, with the focus on driving awareness, education, and empowering travellers of their rights.
“Today, the Malaysian public is able to access information on their rights as travellers through various mediums, including via the FlySmart website and mobile app,” he added.
Nugsari said the Commission and its employees are duty-bound to act within the confines of the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 [Act 771] and intend to ensure industry players similarly respect the laws and regulations of the country.
“There are many stakeholders in the aviation industry in Malaysia, not merely one, and the Commission’s role is to ensure its work benefits the industry overall, and not anyone specific player. We have consciously worked towards that objective and will continue to do so,” he said. — Bernama
