KUALA LUMPUR – The government is set to subsidise one-way flight tickets priced above RM599 for passengers heading back to Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan at least three days before Christmas celebrations, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
“Flight tickets that are less than RM599 for the said routes will be sold at the original price set by airlines.
“While for economy class tickets costing more than RM599, the government will subsidise the difference between the original price of the airfare and the maximum price.
“The price of the one-way economy airfare being subsidised does not include tax and fees,” he said during the special announcement for the airfare subsidy by the government under the Madani initiative today.
Loke said the initiative is set to be implemented for the 2023 Christmas holiday beginning at midnight tomorrow and will apply to those travelling to the said destinations between December 22 and December 24.
He also announced similar initiatives for upcoming festivals in 2024, including Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Kaamatan Festival, Hari Gawai and Christmas, with the sale of flight tickets taking effect from 12.01am on January 1.
The flight period for the subsidised travel, Loke said, also applies three days before each respective festival.
“From these dates onwards, people will be able to purchase flight tickets through the domestic airline websites, namely AirAsia, Firefly, Malaysia Airlines Bhd, and Batik Air.”
Among the flight ticket terms and conditions will be:
– No changes to the date or flight are allowed, and the ticket is only valid for the date/flight specified on the ticket.
– No name changes are allowed, and purchased flight tickets cannot be returned
In this context, Loke said, there could be several variations to the terms and conditions that have been improved and offered by the airline company.
For the Christmas season, Loke said, the Transport Ministry, through the Malaysian Aviation Commission, had approved 114 additional flights between the Peninsula and Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan.
“The strategy has shown positive results, whereby the airfares from Kuala Lumpur to destinations in Sabah and Sarawak have reduced between 5% and 33% as of today compared to last week,” he said.
The government, he added, will continue its initiatives, including facilitating additional flights during each festive season. – December 15, 2023