KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) said it has issued a show cause letter to Batik Air demanding an explanation on an eight-hour flight delay from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching that affected 170 passengers.

Mavcom in a statement on Friday (Jan 13) said the commission was dissatisfied with the explanation given by Batik Air regarding flight OD 7634 on Dec 22, 2022, and the airline is required to submit its representation in writing to Mavcom.

“Batik Air did provide the information to Mavcom pertaining to the flight disruption of OD 7634 from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching.

“However, evidence to substantiate the information was insufficient to conclude if Batik Air took all measures to communicate to affected consumers about the flight delays that occurred on that day,” the commission said.

Mavcom further added that depending on the nature and extent of any non-compliance with the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (MACPC), airlines may face a financial penalty of up to RM200,000 for the first offence, and 10 times the penalty for a second or subsequent non-compliance with the MACPC .

To date, the commission has imposed a total of RM4.7 million in financial penalties on airlines for non-compliance with the MACPC.

Separately, Mavcom’s investigation into AirAsia X Bhd’s flight cancellation from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur on Jan 2, 2023, revealed that all affected consumers were notified by AirAsia X of the cancelled flight via SMS as well as via e-mail.

The commission said AirAsia X offered three service recovery options — a free flight change to a travel date of the consumer’s choice, converting the cost of the ticket to a Credit Account, or a refund of the unused ticket.

“Based on the reports and evidence obtained from AirAsia X and the affected consumer, the airline had communicated the flight disruption to the affected consumer and provided options to rebook their flight from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur from Jan 1, 2023 until Dec 31, 2023 subject to availability.

“AirAsia X was also able to reallocate other affected consumers of flight D7 219 on flights between Jan 3 and 7, 2023,” the commission said.

Mavcom responded to a complaint lodged by an affected passenger who purchased two flight tickets on flight D7 219, which was scheduled to depart from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur on Jan 2, 2023.

On Dec 30, 2022, the affected consumer received a flight cancellation notification from AirAsia X that the flight was cancelled due to operational reasons.

The affected consumer was rebooked on flight D7 213, which departed for Kuala Lumpur on Jan 6, 2023.

Mavcom also urged consumers to exercise caution when posting information online relating to their flight issues and to escalate their complaints through the official channels, providing sufficient information and documentation to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted.