Most airlines take pride in being able to depart airports on time, as scheduled. Passengers are entitled to expect this and while technical problems that cause delays are understandable – no one would like to fly with a known engine problem – cancellations of flights are likely to be human problems that can surely be addressed.
Unfortunately, meeting scheduled times appears to be something the airlines of Malaysia seem to aspire to as can be seen from the numerous complaints in the media. Thousands of passengers are inconvenienced each year due to flights being cancelled suddenly or rescheduled, and if they are entitled to compensation, the refund process is very frustrating.
This issue was mentioned by the hardworking Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, in response to a query by Tuaran MP, Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, on what measures are being taken by the government to put a halt to the common occurrences of flight rescheduling.
The minister said that a proposal to penalise airlines that do not abide by their flight schedules is under consideration by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) which is the body responsible for regulating economic and commercial matters relating to civil aviation.
The schedules set can related to the airline’s licence and permit conditions and a fine imposed when those conditions are not met. “Stern action like this can be taken to ensure that instances of flight cancellations or rescheduling do not persist,” Mr. Loke said in a written parliamentary reply, adding that the suggestion is part of Putrajaya’s efforts to ensure airlines always stick to their schedules.
Mr. Loke noted that, on January 5 this year, MAVCOM had already reminded all airlines to improve their handling of flight delays and cancellations and to improve their communication with passengers while attending to the care and needs of passengers in line with the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (MACPC).
The Transport Minister said companies that postpone or cancel any flights due to technical issues or unsatisfactory capacity must compensate passengers within 30 days or offer alternative flights. “If an airline fails to comply with MACPC, MAVCOM can impose a financial penalty of not more than RM200,000, with any ensuing offence to be punished with 10 times the penalty issued the first time,” he said.
From the many complaints on social media, it would appear that airlines do provide alternative flights (eventually) when scheduled flights are cancelled. It’s unknown how much is actually paid to passenger in compensations but Mr. Loke said that airlines have paid RM4.72 million in penalties to MAVCOM for failure to abide by the MACPC between 2019 and January 2023.
“As part of the ongoing effort to improve the consumer protection code, MAVCOM is currently in the process of improving the MACPC based on user feedback and important lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr. Loke said. He expects the entire process will be completed during the second quarter of this year.
