Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

A FLIGHT delay of eight hours had caused weary passengers to be stranded at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport for the entire duration on December 22. The plane was scheduled to fly to Kuching.

And yet, it was strange that the airline company reportedly did not see the necessity to immediately offer an apology to the affected passengers until Transport Minister Anthony Loke had to intervene and instruct Batik Air Malaysia, a rebranded Malindo Air, to do so.

Twitter user Firdaus Jailan, who was one of the affected passengers, had raised the alarm, which then caught the attention of Loke.

Shouldn’t it be a common courtesy of Batik Air, or any airline for that matter, to apologise to its passengers for the disruption of flight and, consequently, its planned schedules as well as offer immediate assistance to passengers?

Wouldn’t it be part of the company’s public relations strategy to offer apology and be in direct communication with passengers when a flight delay such as the above occurs?

To be sure, we are talking about the inconvenience faced by the distraught passengers who had to rough it out at the airport from 11pm until 6am. Some of the passengers were said to have slept on benches at the departure gate of the airport.

The passengers claimed that hotel accommodation was not provided for, nor food was offered during the material time.

The airline company, however, said it offered food vouchers to the passengers but no outlets were opened past midnight at the terminal, while accommodation could not be made available as hotels were fully booked at the time.

Shoddy treatment of travellers, particularly of budget airlines should concern the authorities as flight delays seem to have become a common feature of their corporate identity, rather than an exception to the rule.

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) reported that, for example, as of May 30, 495 flights or 6% of a total of 6,000 were delayed for more than an hour from April 29 to May 9 during the last Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive season. Such delays are obviously not an achievement to be proud of.

While certain delays cannot be avoided owing to bad weather conditions, as in the case of the said Batik Air flight, allegations of certain airlines combining two or three flights into one, resulting in delays, should be looked into by the authorities in the interest of passengers’ welfare.

You can imagine how such flight delays or cancellations could cause havoc to your business schedule, family get-together or holiday itinerary, especially when you have to make other flight connections. It can be nightmarish.

The authorities should also investigate passengers’ complaints of not being able to get a refund or compensation as a result of flight delays. Such alleged unfairness must be addressed by the authorities.

In this regard, watchdog Mavcom is expected primarily by passengers to play a more assertive and effective role in ensuring that airlines, particularly the budget carriers, maintain professionalism and ethical standards for the benefit of their fare-paying clientele.

Common courtesy, fair practices and passengers’ comfort must be prioritised especially in an era when everyone is said to be able to fly. – December 29, 2022.