Airport Tax Will Increase

[Cheng Long 0]

MAHB has stated this:

 

So this means that the airport tax amount is just a number that the DoT/MoF/MAHB throws up from time to time. It has nothing to do with the cost of building the airport!

 

They are talking bullshit.. Even TF didn't buy that argument..

[Waiping 12]

MAHB has stated this:

 

So this means that the airport tax amount is just a number that the DoT/MoF/MAHB throws up from time to time. It has nothing to do with the cost of building the airport!

 

We have to be mindful that very rarely a department or ministry or GLC is accountable over here.

[flee 5]

AirAsia relents on airport tax hike (Update)

 

PETALING JAYA (Nov 30, 2011): AirAsia Bhd has finally agreed to charge all its international passengers departing from Malaysia with the new airport tax imposed by the Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) from today, but not without some misgivings.

 

The budget carrier had earlier refused to adhere to the higher airport tax rate since it came into effect on Nov 15, saying conditions at the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) in Sepang do not justify the increase.

 

“All AirAsia guests may channel their enquiries or concerns regarding the revised airport tax directly to the airport authority (MAHB) by writing to the CEO of MAHB at bashir@malaysiaairports.com.my or via its online feedback form available at www.malaysiaairports.com.my/index.php/contact-us/284.html,” AirAsia said in a statement yesterday.

 

Under the new fees, the airport tax at the country’s 39 airports MAHB manages, excluding low-cost carrier terminals, was raised to RM65 from RM51 previously for international travellers.

 

For departing international passengers at the LCCT in Sepang and Terminal 2 Kota Kinabalu, the airport tax will be raised to RM32 from RM25.

 

AirAsia said the airport tax is collected by the airline on behalf of MAHB.

 

“It is important for our guests to know that we do not derive any profit from the airport tax collected from them, as the entire amount goes to MAHB, the airport operator.

 

"We know that the revised airport tax will be a burden to many of our guests. We have pleaded our case with the airport operator and relevant authorities numerous times to have the decision reversed. Regrettably, we did not succeed and the airport tax increment stands at the moment,” said AirAsia chairman Datuk Aziz Bakar in a statement yesterday.

 

He said that increased cost needs to be justified with good quality facilities and services for everyone, which are definitely not up to par at the moment; space for check-in counters, limited parking space, security, quality of toilets, cleanliness of the facilities are not worth the increase.

 

Aziz warned that while travellers in Kuching and Langkawi have demanded for more international routes, AirAsia might not be able to fulfil this as the raised airport tax will decrease the demand for travel.

 

“The substantial price of RM65 is almost half the price of our international route fare,” Aziz said. “This will discourage people from taking holidays and put the tourism industry at a major risk.”

 

Source

[lionel 0]

“We keep taking two steps forward, and get dragged two steps backward. Macam mana nak maju? (How do we progress?)” he asked.

 

Asked by one of his Twitter followers what he thought was the reason behind the fee increase, Azran had only one word in response: “Tamak! (Greed!)”

 

When contacted by The Star yesterday, MAHB declined to comment.

 

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/30/nation/9802237&sec=nation

 

Hmmn?? Air Asia no "greed" at all? all the big corporate are greed about the our money, including AirAsia...they only know blaming MAB for the increasing of airport tax and such, why can't themself waive the fuel surcharge and the bloody convenient fees and etc? Shame! when u pointing 1 fingers at others, 3 fingers are pointing back at you...

[flee 5]

Actually other airlines also charge fees, e.g FY charges RM 47 in admin fees for KUL-SIN flight.

 

However, some of the AirAsia charges can be avoided. For instance, you can avoid the AirAsia convenience fees if you pay by direct debit. You do not have to buy travel insurance from them. But if you decide to do that, you know what the direct costs are because they are separately itemised and not lumped up.

[flee 5]

AirAsia has begun its campaign. It is mobilising its customer database to inundate the MAHB email addresses with complaints.

 

Frankly I think AirAsia should stop collecting Airport Taxes. Customers blame them for the increases when it is MAHBs fault.

[Ikman Ikreza 0]

AirAsia has begun its campaign. It is mobilising its customer database to inundate the MAHB email addresses with complaints.

 

Frankly I think AirAsia should stop collecting Airport Taxes. Customers blame them for the increases when it is MAHBs fault.

 

 

Here the petition organize and lead by TF. He already post this petition on his FB.

 

Tony Fernandes

http://www.change.org/petitions/malaysia-airports-holding-berhad-reverse-the-enforced-increment-of-passenger-service-charge-airport-tax

Like · · Share · 3 · 3 minutes ago ·

[alberttky 0]

From TF's tweet:

Malaysian airport staff tearing down our posters and taking away airport passes of our staff. And using intimidation. Can someone tell them this is Malaysia and not a police state.

 

If this is true, Malaysia has sunk to a new low.

[BC Tam 2]

Wow !

KLIA spring in the making ?!

[Sharil Abdul Rahman 0]

taking down posters that is illegally put up?

 

that is a police state ka?

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

Tony Fernandes

We seeking legal advice and also will lodge if they don't stop.

Let the suing drama begins!

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

You know, if we take a step back and look - it is somehow puzzling that Tony Fernandes, he who now has a stake in Malaysia's 4 major airlines & are chums with people in Khazanah, couldn't take it offline and somehow twist somebody's arm in Khazanah to order MAB to reduce the taxes.

 

I thought he's the most powerful man in Malaysian aviation right now?

[Naim 6]

You know, if we take a step back and look - it is somehow puzzling that Tony Fernandes, he who now has a stake in Malaysia's 4 major airlines & are chums with people in Khazanah, couldn't take it offline and somehow twist somebody's arm in Khazanah to order MAB to reduce the taxes.

 

I thought he's the most powerful man in Malaysian aviation right now?

 

Hahaha, I actually tweeted "Can't Khazanah do anything to help? " to TF but he never responded.

[Izanee 0]

hahahaha Naim, very funny! i'm sure he wasn't impressed!! lol

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

MAHB removes AirAsia anti-tax hike posters, stickers

UPDATED @ 07:39:34 PM 01-12-2011 By Yow Hong Chieh and Lee Wei Lian

December 01, 2011

 

AirAsia cabin crew displaying the stickers on their uniform Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) Sepang December 1, 2011.

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Malaysia Airports (MAHB) staff today tore down AirAsia posters criticising the latest airport tax hike at LCCT, escalating the verbal spat between Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and the airport operator.

 

AirAsia commercial director Jasmine Lee told The Malaysian Insider MAHB also forced airline staff to remove “Say No To Airport Tax Increase” stickers from their uniform and allegedly confiscated security tags from some of its groundcrew.

 

AirAsia passengers were not spared either, with the airport operator allegedly threatening to bar them from flying if they did not remove the offending stickers from their boarding passes or clothes, she said.

 

MAHB staff involved in the confrontation, which began at 10.00am today and lasted until lunchtime, were reportedly accompanied by auxiliary police officers in some instances.

 

“Our legal team will be sending them a letter today to inform them that they do not have the right to harrass our staff,” Lee said, pointing out that the stickers made no mention of MAHB.

 

" Say no to Airport Tax increase" posters, which were torn down at LCCT Sepang December 1, 2011.

 

She stressed that AirAsia was not encouraging passengers to stop paying airport tax but to lobby Malaysia Airports if they felt the increase was too high.

Lee added that AirAsia would resume their sticker campaign tomorrow despite what happened this morning.

 

AirAsia CEO Fernandes earlier likened MAHB’s clampdown on the anti-tax hike campaign to the actions of a “police state” on micro-blogging site Twitter.

 

“Malaysian airport staff tearing down our posters and taking away airport passes of our staff. And using intimidation. Can someone tell them this is Malaysia and not a police state,” he said.

 

But MAHB senior general manager for operations Datuk Azmi Murad denied any claims of intimidation, saying that no passes were revoked and that no posters were allowed on airport property without authorisation.

 

Azmi pointed out that AirAsia staff had been putting up anti-tax hike posters in public areas of the LCCT, including in lifts, and airport staff took them down as a matter of policy and was not targetting AirAsia specifically.

 

“Anyone who puts up posters in the terminal building we will remove,” he said.

 

“Imagine any Tom, Dick or Harry being able to come and putting up posters all over public areas. Anybody’s posters will be taken down.”

 

Azmi also said that while security did check AirAsia staff for valid passes for entry into restricted areas of the airport, none were revoked.

 

MAHB viewed the campaign against the airport tax hike as a protest against the government’s decision and not against MAHB, he added.

 

As part of the airline’s anti-tax hike campaign, customers who tried to book flights via the AirAsia website were greeted with a pop-up message asking them to oppose the tax increase.

 

An AirAsia customer displaying the controversial sticker at the LCCT Sepang December 1, 2011.

 

Some customers felt turned off however, saying that it made AirAsia look undignified.

 

“This is just too petty,” said one customer who tried to book a flight today. “There has to be a better way to deal with it. It could have been done in a more dignified manner.”

 

The customer, who asked not to be identified, said the pop-up was not effective enough to make him write in to protest the tax hike.

 

The Transport Ministry recently gave MAHB the green light to raise passenger service charges by 28 per cent and aircraft parking and landing charges by nine and 18 per cent respectively over three years.

 

Airport taxes at Penang, Kuching and Langkawi will rise to RM65 from RM51, and to RM32 from RM25 at low-cost carrier terminals (LCCTs) in Sepang and Kota Kinabalu.

 

An agreement signed between MAHB and the Transport Ministry in February 2009 set a benchmark airport tax rate of RM65, excluding LCCTs, with the government compensating the airport operator for any difference.

 

AirAsia has questioned whether the increases were justified based on the quality of the terminals, but MAHB has maintained its airport charges were already the lowest in the region.

 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mahb-removes-airasia-anti-tax-hike-posters-stickers/

[Waiping 12]

Actually we are against all form of hike whether in tax or charges imposed by anyone...

Edited December 1, 2011 by Waiping

[Mike P 0]

This is stupid and silly... speechless...

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

[alberttky 0]

Wonder if Bashir's mailbox is bombarded by now...

[flee 5]

I suspect the new and higher airport tax will kill of any remaining international routes from KCH and LGW. I won't be surprised if they cut routes or frequencies.

 

It may also stunt PEN's growth.

[Sri Ramani K. 0]

Everyone might have been wondering what TF's tweet was all about eh? Simple.

 

 

LCCT was filled with staff wearing these stickers and badges. MAHB's simple way of overcoming it; give me your airport pass OR remove it. What a world.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Sri Ramani K.

[H C Chai 4]

I suspect the new and higher airport tax will kill of any remaining international routes from KCH and LGW. I won't be surprised if they cut routes or frequencies.

 

It may also stunt PEN's growth.

 

Poor KCH.... interestingly there is no increase in the airport tax for Intra-Borneo flights (e.g. KCH-PNK, BKI-BWN). It is still RM26. It takes more than just RM13 airport tax increase to kill off international route from KCH, there is just not enough demand...

Edited December 1, 2011 by H C Chai

[BC Tam 2]

I suspect the new and higher airport tax will kill of any remaining international routes from KCH and LGW.

Travelling from LGW is horrendously more expensive than rm65 charged by MAB

And yet it's thriving

 

On serious note (?) - hasn't AK already started prunning frequencies ex-BKI ?

Together with MH's 'secondary hub reversal' ......

[alberttky 0]

Poor KCH.... interestingly there is no increase in the airport tax for Intra-Borneo flights (e.g. KCH-PNK, BKI-BWN). It is still RM26. It takes more than just RM13 airport tax increase to kill off international route from KCH, there is just not enough demand...

[Raymund Yeoh 1]

Comin fr Penang, I dont thinks those flying out of Pen deserve to pay the extra airport tax

 

WHY ??

 

1) Toilet facilities - even with the upgrading of toilets in certain areas, the overall toilet scence in PEN is still pathethic, smelly, always run out of toilet paper. Can MAHB or whoever is incharge pls remove the fake green plants lying all over in the toilet as it looks fake and is collecting dust by the day and a sight for sore eyes.

 

2) Sitting Area - so far, the sitting area options Pre or Post security is still not enough

 

3) F&B Options - besides Mc D and Coffee Bean in Pre Security, anything after Post security for food/drinks is pathethic.