Govt to set ceiling price for domestic flights

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will set a ceiling price for domestic flights following complaints from consumers of high ticket prices during the festive season.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi said an increase as high as five-fold in ticket prices occurred during peak periods.
He said the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has been instructed to conduct a study on the ceiling price for domestic flights.
"The average flight ticket price from peninsular to Sabah and Sarawak is around RM160.
"During the festive period, a study by Mavcom has found that the ticket price can increase by five times," he said.
"Mavcom is in the process of setting up ceiling prices for domestic flights, due for completion by mid-2018," he told the Dewan Rakyat.
He was responding to a question from Oscar Ling Chai Yew (DAP -Sibu) who asked about the role of Mavcom in regulating the price of flight tickets.
In posing his question, Ling asked about the measures undertaken by the government to ensure ticket prices from the peninsular to east Malaysia does not increase during the festive seasons.
"The government has failed to control the price. During such seasons, a flight from peninsular to Sabah and Sarawak can reach RM1,000 one way," Ling said.
Kaprawi advised the public to plan their schedule ahead and refrain from buying their tickets at the last minute.
He said the price of flights tickets were set by the aviation companies based on several factors, including market demand, economic situation and operational cost.