MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd said today it does not fix or control the passenger service charge after AirAsia filed an RM400 million counter-claim against its subsidiary, Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd, piling pressure on the low-cost airline to cough up RM36.11 million “backdated” fees.

MAHB said in a statement the fee is used to cover partially the operating, improvement and maintenance of its 39 airports around the country.

The rates are also fixed by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and it is a common practice in the aviation industry for airlines to collect the PSC from departing passengers upon purchase of their tickets, MAHB said.

AirAsia filed an RM400 million counter-claim last Wednesday against MAHB for losses and damages experienced due to operational disruptions at klia2.

The counter-claim is in response to MAHB’s action filed last December against the low-cost carrier and its long-haul sister airline AirAsia X Bhd for a combined RM36.11 million for outstanding airport taxes.

“PSC is supposed to be collected by airlines from departing passengers upon purchase of their flight tickets. The money is later to be paid to MAHB,” the airport operator said today.

“The charge is among the lowest in the region and globally, even after Mavcom standardised PSC for non-Asean international flights to RM73.”

Mavcom announced the final step for the full equalisation of PSC across all airports in Malaysia in November 2017.

While the PSC is set at RM73 per passenger beginning January 1 last year, both airlines have only been collecting RM50 per passenger. MAHB is now demanding that the airlines pay up the RM23 difference per passenger from July onwards. 

MAHB also said AirAsia should abide by the conditions of use 2017 (COU 2017), which is a legally binding contract between MASSB and all airlines operating from KLIA and klia2.

“The COU 2017 is applicable to all airlines operating at both terminals in Kuala Lumpur (including AirAsia). The contracts states that the PSC rates payable are subject to any revised Mavcom regulations,” it said.

MAHB said it is seeking the recovery of an average of about RM7 million per month due to AirAsia charging a lower amount than the gazetted rate. – February 3, 2019.