SIBU: Plans by airlines to increase flights that could result in lower airfares will be announced soon, says Sibu MP Oscar Ling.
"We are now waiting for everything to be arranged before announcing the results of our discussions including the student ticket subsidy plan next year," Ling said on Thursday (Nov 23).
His statement came following a meeting with AirAsia executives a day earlier on expensive flight tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu and Miri.
"If airline tickets are too expensive, people can't afford them, especially during the festive season, and more flights are needed to lower airline ticket prices," he said.
Ling also said the government was still asking AirAsia to add midnight flights to deal with emergency situations.
On the suspension of AirAsia's Singapore-Sibu route, he said the decision to stop the flight was because the current number of passengers is still not enough to reach the break-even point.
"They have suffered continuous losses on the Singapore-Sibu route," he said.
Ling said, from information gathered at the meeting, AirAsia is currently facing pressure from changes in the currency exchange rate, increased operating costs, while the maintenance of idle aircraft being reactivated cannot be completed quickly due to high demand.
"AirAsia also said that aircraft leases, fuel and other costs in the aviation industry are all calculated in US dollars, and operating costs have increased," he added.
He believed that with better support from tourism and entrepreneurs, the sector could resume.
The courtesy visit was also followed by a visit by Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol, and Miri MP Chiew Choon Man.
