MAVCOM sends reminder to airlines to up customer service game

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has instructed all airlines to improve flight disruption management due to the anticipated rise in flight capacity during the Chinese New Year festive season.

In MAVCOM’s statement to the airlines, it reminded airlines to take note of their obligations to their passengers under the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC) and to also resolve the past issues faced by passengers during flight disruption. Recently, there has been a rise in flight disruptions and customer service issues among Malaysian based airlines.

While MAVCOM notes that airlines have Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling flight disruptions, it said, “The management of these flight disruptions must be further strengthened and requires urgent attention”. As such, the instructions aim to immediately address concerns regarding airlines’ management and handling of flight delays and cancellations, especially during important festive holidays when air travel is expected to increase.

MAVCOM has also instructed airlines at all Malaysian airports to deploy teams handling delays for any flight that has been delayed for two hours or more. "Airlines shall apply these obligations whenever a flight disruption occurs and more importantly, during festive seasons such as the upcoming CNY and other peak travel periods,” MAVCOM added.

According to MAVCOM, complaints concerning flight rescheduling jumped tremendously from just eight in the first half of last year to 233 complaints during the same period this year. AirAsia contributed 65% of complaints on flight rescheduling, followed by Malaysia Airlines (30%) and Batik Air (4%). Additionally, MAVCOM also received 1,317 non-actionable complaints, comprising 1,160 complaints with incomplete documentation.

In total, the Commission has approved an additional 33.5 per cent extra domestic flights for 2023 compared to the 2022 CNY festive period.

Related articles:
MAVCOM approves joint business between Malaysia Airlines and JAL
AirAsia and Malaysia Airports fined by MAVCOM
MAVCOM sees rise in consumer complaints for major Malaysian airlines