MAVCOM is still in discussion with the federal government on how to improve rural-to-rural travel facility routes. Bernama File Photo
KUCHING: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) is working closely with MASwings to provide accessibility for rural folk in Sarawak due to low passenger volume in these areas.
MAVCOM chief operating officer Azmir Zain said that from an analysis of passengers on rural air services (RAS) routes in Sarawak between January and October 2018, about 47.8 per cent of the passengers were travelling from urban-to-urban areas and 49.6 per cent, from urban-to-rural areas.
He said the overall RAS operations between the same period in 2018 showed that the total urban-to-urban passengers was 70 per cent; urban-to-rural passengers, 28 per cent and rural-to- rural passengers, only two per cent.
“The objective of the RAS and the subsidies from the government are to help rural-to-rural travel, and this statistic shows that the subsidies are not going to those areas where they are supposed to,” he said at a media briefing here today.
Azmir also said that MAVCOM was still in discussion with the federal government on how to improve rural-to-rural travel facility routes that include Bukit Mabong in Kapit, Belaga and Long Silat in Baram, Sarawak, as well as Long Pasia in Sabah.
“Facilities such as Short Take-Off and Landing Ports (STOLports) or smaller airports in rural areas need to be provided first to realise this objective,” Azmir said, adding that they were also looking at introducing Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code for STOLport gazettement.
Meanwhile, he said, MAVCOM was also monitoring the airfares, especially during peak seasons such as Chinese New Year, Aidilfitri and Christmas which could go up an average of three to five times more than the normal rate that was being offered. – Bernama