Kota Kinabalu: Sabah United Chinese Chambers of Commerce (SUCCC) President Datuk Michael Lui (pic) called on the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to review the nearly RM1,000 difference in one-way airfares between Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur for travel dates just days apart, describing the gap as unreasonable.
Michael, who is also Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president, said fare increases should not simply be attributed to peak tourism seasons, market demand or airlines’ dynamic pricing mechanisms.
“These factors may explain why airfares increase, but they do not answer the questions that matter most to the public: Are such prices reasonable, why can fares fluctuate so dramatically within such a short period, and what is the basis for these differences?” he said in a statement.
He cited one-way fares for the same Kota Kinabalu-Kuala Lumpur route, saying a ticket purchased for Aug 13 cost RM1,639, compared with RM1,069 for Aug 17 and RM659 for Aug 20.
Michael said flight capacity also deserved serious attention as Sabah continues to attract more visitors, warning that if tourist arrivals increased without a corresponding rise in flights and available seats, the resulting supply-demand imbalance would push airfares higher and potentially discourage travellers from choosing Sabah as a tourism destination.
In this regard, he urged the Federal Government, airlines and Sabah’s tourism-related authorities to openly review flight frequencies, seat capacity and airfare movements during July and August.
He stressed that his remarks were not directed at any particular airline, but were intended to encourage the relevant authorities to undertake a comprehensive review of domestic airfare pricing mechanisms and flight capacity to ensure a fairer and more reasonable air travel environment for consumers.
