PUTRAJAYA, April 14 — The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) will extend credit terms for aviation fees and charges to 60 days, effective May 1, to ease financial pressure on airlines, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He added that the measure aims to help sustain the aviation industry during a challenging period following the conflict in West Asia, which has led to mass cancellations of international flights.
“The situation reached a critical level on March 1, when about 75 per cent of daily flights to the region had to be cancelled,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference on a rail use campaign to address rising fuel costs here today, Loke said if the situation persists, it could undermine international tourist confidence and result in estimated economic output losses of between RM15 billion and RM150 billion this year.
Meanwhile, in conjunction with Gawai Dayak and Kaamatan, he said CAAM would launch a RM50 airfare rebate for Malaysians travelling between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
He said CAAM would allocate RM5 million for the rebate, which is expected to benefit about 100,000 passengers from May 15 to June 14.
Loke said the Transport Ministry believes both initiatives would bring the people significant benefits, and that the measures reflect the government’s commitment to ensuring Malaysia’s public transport system remains preferred and accessible to all segments of society.
