AIRASIA will stop collecting the RM3 “klia2” fee next week, its group chief executive Tony Fernandes said today.

Removing the fee, which had been imposed on passengers since 2014, is part of the budget carrier’s plans to strip down other costs so that “all you’ll get from AirAsia is an airfare and whatever else you want to add on,” Fernandez said in a Facebook live session today.

He added that AirAsia was also “looking really hard” at removing the processing fee.

In 2014, the budget airline justified the RM3 fee which it dubbed the “klia2 fee” on its tickets as a collection to cover costs imposed on it from new infrastructure and systems imposed on it at the new klia2 airport.

The fee was not imposed at its old hub, the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

These included aerobridge charges and a new check-in system.

“Lower our costs, that’s all we are trying to do. Every time we fight with Malaysia Airports, it’s about lowering costs.

“We are going to remove the klia 2 fee next week. There is not going to be a klia2 fee anymore. We’re going to go directly to Malaysian Airports for all those extra costs they are costing us,” Fernandes said.

“We’re trying to get rid of all these extra charges. Everything we fight for is to keep prices low.”

Last month, however, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) said AirAsia’s “klia2” fee would become illegal once it updated the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC) that will prohibit airlines from imposing unnecessary charges on passengers.

The proposed code is currently said to be with the Attorney-General’s Chambers for approval.

AirAsia is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd (MASSB), which sued the airline earlier this month over unpaid passenger service charges (PSC), also known as “airport tax”.

It is claiming RM9.4 million from AirAsia Bhd (AAB) and RM26.71 million from its long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X Bhd, being the difference from the increase of the PSC from RM50 to RM73 in February this year.

AirAsia has said is refusing to pay up the arrears because of the lower level of service provided to passengers at klia2 compared with the full-service terminal at KLIA.

Fernandes today again took issue with the level of service and quality of klia2.

“We think it’s ridiculous that klia2 airport tax is the same as KLIA because KLIA is a much better airport.

“Look at the runway right now, there’s tractors all over, digging up and filling up holes that cause our planes so much damage.

“You cannot believe the problems we have with this (klia2) airport.”

He also said klia2 did not help AirAsia’s goal of cheaper airfares for passengers.

“We just require simpler facilities so we can have lower costs for passengers.”

AirAsia and Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd have been at loggerheads over fees at klia2 and the quality of the airport and service.

AirAsia CEO Riad Asmat recently tweeted about poor hygiene standards at klia2, which led to MAHB lodging a police report against him. – December 31, 2018.