KUALA LUMPUR (April 13): The country’s two biggest carriers MAS and AirAsia are going into overdrive to ensure more voters are able to get back to their hometowns to vote on May 9, when Malaysia heads to the polls.

AirAsia is offering fixed fares on all its domestic routes on May 8 to May 10 — but only for new bookings for the travel period and subject to availability, the budget carrier clarified in a statement today. 

Today’s announcement came after AirAsia group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes announced via his social media yesterday (April 12) that the low-cost carrier plans to put any unsold flight seats on low fares, and add extra capacity to deal with anticipated demand. 

According to AirAsia, voters travelling within the Peninsular and within East Malaysia can look forward to book flights with the airline at a fixed one-way fare of RM99. 

One-way tickets for routes from Peninsular Malaysia-Sarawak will be priced at RM129, while Peninsular Malaysia-Sabah will be kept at RM199.

MAS is mounting 40 additional flights and upgrading 10 flights to wide-body services to a number of domestic destinations between May 5 and May 10, following a surge in demand for several routes in Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. 

In a statement today, the airline said it will continue to monitor the market trend and consider mounting more flights to more cities, to ensure supply matches demand.