KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 14): Low-cost carrier AirAsia Group Bhd said to date, it has paid a total of RM663.05 million in airport tax to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).

The airport tax or officially known as passenger service charge (PSC), which AirAsia has been collecting on behalf of MAHB's subsidiary Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd (MASSB) since Jan 1, 2017, comprises a RM50 PSC from every non-Asean international passenger departing from klia2 in Sepang.

Although MASSB had increased the tax to RM73 on Feb 1, 2018, AirAsia said it was not obligated to collect the PSC at the new rate, refusing to collect the additional charge from passengers.

“Passengers using klia2 should not be charged the same rates as passengers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), as klia2 is a low-cost terminal with far lower levels of service provided to passengers, compared with KLIA which is a full-service terminal,” AirAsia Malaysia chief executive officer Riad Asmat said in a statement today.

Riad said AirAsia had previously lodged a number of official complaints regarding the substandard infrastructure and access at klia2 which has negatively impacted its operational performance and punctuality.

The statement comes in response to news on Tuesday that the airline operator together with its long-haul affiliate AirAsia X Bhd (AAX) had been slapped with a law suit from MASSB, to pay a combined RM36.11 million for outstanding airport taxes.

In separate Bursa filings, AAGB said MASSB was seeking RM9.4 million for unpaid PSCs from its wholly-owned unit AirAsia Bhd. Meanwhile, AAX said it had also been served with a writ of summons of RM26.72 million by MASSB for PSC arrears.

“From our calculations, these cross-claims far exceed the amount of airport tax that we have refused to collect for MASSB from our passengers,” Riad said.

Riad reiterated that the airline group had tried on various occasions, without success, to engage MASSB on these issues.

"Regrettably, MASSB has instead decided to take the matter public and instigate legal action based on claims that AirAsia will strongly refute,” he said.

Shares of AirAsia are currently trading up 4 sen or 1.5% to RM2.70, for a market capitalisation of RM8.99 billion. While MAHB shares are currently down 17 sen or 2.12% to RM7.86, for a market capitalisation of RM13.32 billion.