AIRASIA BHD has clarified that the airline has never charged RM2,000 for a flight between Kuala Lumpur and Sandakan as claimed by Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin.

“The claim that a one-way flight for the cost RM2,000 is completely untrue because the average fare is RM213,” chief executive officer Aireen Omar said in a statement today.

“Even during peak season, when AirAsia operates flights with 100% load factor, our highest fare was about RM1,180, which still remain lowest in the market.”

She said that there were also no “hidden charges” as alleged by the MP as customers had the option of choosing how they wanted to fly and what products they wished to pay for. All fees and charges were clearly stated on the website and mobile app.

“In the spirit of ‘concern for the welfare of the people’, we wish to invite him (Bung) to review the differences in facilities and services between airport terminals in Malaysia and look into customer opinions and feedback.

“The people in Sandakan are being forced to pay the same airport tax as travellers who use Kuala Lumpur International Airport for far inferior services,” she said.

Bung had urged the government to be stricter in viewing low-cost airlines’ policies, saying AirAsia should act as a low-cost airline but it is not.

Group CEO Tony Fernandes then took to Twitter to lash out against MPs who criticised the airline. – Bernama, November 24, 2017.