ALMOST half of the complaints made to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) during the first half of the year (1H 2022) were against budget airline AirAsia.
In its bi-annual consumer report, MAVCOM said it received a total of 1,251 complaints from January to June 2022, with 99.1% (1,240) complaints relating to airlines and the remaining 0.9% (11) against airports.
“This illustrates an increase of almost eight times more (complaints) than the 157 complaints lodged within the corresponding period last year,” MAVCOM said in a statement today.
Of the 1,251 complaints, AirAsia received the bulk, comprising 42.1% (527) of total complaints, followed by Malaysia Airlines with 40.7% (509) and Batik Air (previously known as Malindo) with 7.9% (99).
For every million passengers carried, on the other hand, Malaysia Airlines recorded the highest number of registered complaints (199), followed by Batik Air (167) and AirAsia (95).
Flight rescheduling, flight cancellations and online booking collectively contributed to 46.1% (577) of total complaints filed.
As a result of MAVCOM’s review of the complaints received, however, about a quarter of the complaints received in 1H22 saw airlines reversing their initial decisions and providing resolutions that were more equitable or satisfactory to consumers.
“Overall, 87.9% (1,100) of the total complaints have been resolved and closed,” MAVCOM said.
In addition, MAVCOM also received 1,317 non-actionable complaints, comprising 1,160 complaints with incomplete documentation, 59 complaints where the airline or airport concerned had fulfilled the obligations under the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC) and 35 complaints that were withdrawn by consumers.
In addition, there were 31 complaints that were beyond the scope of the MACPC, 29 complaints that pertained to bookings made through travel agents as well as three complaints that were lodged more than a year from the incident date.
“Take heed of our complaints breakdown”
Commenting on the bi-annual consumer report findings, MAVCOM executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim noted that global air travel saw a strong recovery during 1H 2022, particularly as more and more international borders reopened and travellers took the opportunity to travel abroad in addition to improved domestic travel.
“Passenger traffic increased from an average of 2.90 mil between January to April 2022 to an average of 4.79 mil between May and June 2022,” he said.
“Indeed, Malaysia’s aviation service providers should prepare by taking heed of the complaints breakdown observed in our consumer report as guidance to further improve service levels as well as address the root cause of prevailing issues.”
As a proactive measure, he added, MAVCOM has been actively engaging aviation service providers to ensure that these issues are being addressed.
Saripuddin also advised air travellers to utilise the travel advisory feature within the FlySmart mobile app prior to embarking on their respective journeys as it provides up-to-date information on global air travel requirements.
Being mindful of these requirements will help travellers better prepare while instilling confidence to travel and ensuring a smoother journey.
“Additionally, MAVCOM is working towards the enhancement of the MACPC to further protect air travellers and in continuing to empower them to exercise their rights.”
MAVCOM is also closely monitoring the challenges faced by the industry resulting from the increase in fuel prices as well as operational and resource constraints that impact consumers and the industry.
“To this end, the commission continues to engage with industry players to facilitate a strong and sustainable aviation sector,” said Saripuddin. – Sept 19, 2022
Main pic credit: Reuters
