Govt to subsidise East Malaysia flight tickets for Christmas

The government has approved subsidising one-way economy class flight tickets exceeding RM599 from the Peninsula to Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan during the Christmas holidays, specifically from December 22 to 24.

The subsidy, effective from 12:01 am on December 16, applies to flights scheduled between December 22 and 24, in a bid to alleviate soaring holiday travel costs,

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that the subsidy is intended to tackle elevated prices preceding the Christmas season, especially impacting individuals from Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan who reside, work, and study in the peninsula.

“Flight tickets that cost less than RM599 will be sold at the original price set by the airlines.

“Meanwhile, for economy class flight tickets that exceed RM599, the government will pay the price difference between the original price of the flight ticket and the maximum price,” he said in a statement.

Loke also confirmed the extension of the subsidy policy into 2024, covering various festivals including Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Pesta Keamatan, Hari Gawai, and Christmas, each lasting for three days.

Tickets for these events will be available for purchase from 12:01 am on January 1, 2024. He emphasised, “The subsidy, however, does not include taxes and fees.”

The Transport Ministry clarified that in the case of ‘Mr A,’ who checks an economy plane ticket priced at RM1,500 on December 23 from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, only RM599 needs to be paid by ‘Mr A,’ with the remaining RM901 covered by the government.

Conversely, in a different scenario with ‘Mr B,’ who checks the price of an economy plane ticket at RM450 on December 23 from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, ‘Mr B’ will pay the full RM450 without any subsidy from the government for that specific ticket.

Minister Loke emphasised that the subsidised one-way economy class flight ticket’s price excludes taxes and fees. The implementation of this subsidy for Christmas flight ticket purchases will commence at 12:01 am on December 16.

Assuring the public of financial commitment, Loke stated, “The government will allocate millions of ringgit for each festive season.”

Travellers can purchase tickets through domestic airline websites such as AirAsia, Firefly, Malaysia Airlines Bhd, and Batik Air. Simultaneously, Loke announced that Mavcom has facilitated 114 additional flights between the Peninsula and Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan. T

he positive impact is evident, with fares from Kuala Lumpur to major destinations in Sabah and Sarawak witnessing a significant drop of 5 to 33% since this morning compared to last week. This move enhances accessibility and affordability for holiday travellers.