The tug of war between the Malaysian low cost carrier AirAsia and the country’s Transport Ministry regarding the carrier’s move to Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1 from Terminal 2 continue, with neither side budging from its position.
Yesterday in an interview, AirAsia Group CEO said the move to KKIA T1 would “kill tourism”, citing increased airport tax as the main reason. However, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia Wee Choo Keong called his statements “ridiculous”.
Wee said:
It is about time that the government especially the Minister of Transport stops dancing to the tune of this low cost airline. The government has built a state of the art airport for the comfort and benefit of the traveling public and tourists.
AirAsia’s Reason for Not Moving Defies Logic, Says Wee
He also added that Fernandes’ mentioning the increase in airport tax to RM35 as the reason for not wanting to move “defies logic”. We argued that the carrier agreed to move terminals years ago. AirAsia, Wee said, was supposed to relocate from 1st January, but the move had been postponed to 1st August this year. The airline, he said is now “singing a different tune”.
The Chairman of the Tourism Board also wonders why Fernandes and his company are affable to the same decisions by airports in other countries, but not when it comes to Kota Kinabalu.
Other airports have increased its airport tax and Passenger Service Charge from time to time or moved to a new airport and we have not heard of AirAsia’s refusal to land there.
According to Wee, Malaysia has the lowest PSC charges in the region.
Why is AirAsia complaining about it? Tourism Malaysia has no record of tourists complaining about PSC charges. Passengers have to pay RM600 to Heathrow Airport and it still remains one of the busiest airports in the world.
Wee urged the Ministry of Transport to have the interest of public at tourists in view and to insist that the airline pays what it owes to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd and moves at once to KKIA T1.
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