KOTA KINABALU (April 18): A wedding party and prospective umrah pilgrims were among thousands of passengers stranded at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), here, following the cancellation of flights involving Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Sabah and Sarawak on Thursday.
Rusnih Majid, 65, from Kampung Luagan Sanginan, Beaufort, along with 16 family members including the groom's mother, were scheduled to leave for Kuching on the 12.30pm Firefly flight, but it was cancelled on Thursday and rescheduled.
She said that they had left Beaufort as early as 6am, and only found out about the rescheduling of the flight when they arrived at KKIA at about 9am.
“It's disappointing because we came from far away [Beaufort], the family from Labuan is also here with us, we are going to attend my sister’s son's wedding,” she said.
Rusnih, however, hopes that the situation will improve and that the family will be able to attend her nephew's wedding ceremony which will take place this Saturday (April 20).
Meanwhile, Raudah Borneo Travel and Services Sdn Bhd Syariah adviser Datuk Saifulzaman Sangul said that the agency’s 66 prospective umrah pilgrims were also stranded.
He hoped that all pilgrims would be patient, and pray that the situation will improve and flight operations will go back to normal.
“For those who are going to perform umrah, we hope that their flight will reach the Holy Land safely, and [they can] fulfil their umrah obligations," he said.
Prospective umrah pilgrims, Nuraini Robert, 54, and her daughter, Najwa Musain Musli, 28, from Kampung Paal, Tenom, said that their flight through the umrah agency, scheduled for 12.05pm to Singapore, was postponed.
She said that she only found out about the flight situation when they were at KKIA, after being informed by the umrah agency earlier that they were expected to arrive in Jeddah on Friday.
“I arrived in Kota Kinabalu yesterday [Wednesday], and when a situation like this happens, we just have to accept it, pray that the situation will get better and that we will reach our destination safely,” she said.
Several Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia flights connecting KLIA, Sabah, and Sarawak were cancelled on Thursday, following the volcanic eruption at Mount Ruang, Indonesia.
Malaysia Airlines has so far announced that 19 flights have been cancelled, of which 11 flights involve Sabah, while the other eight involve Sarawak.
AirAsia said 16 of its flights connecting KLIA with Sabah destinations were cancelled, eight involving Kota Kinabalu and another eight involving Tawau.
KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): Malaysia Airlines is offering affected customers a one-time change to their travel itinerary free of charge, or opt for a full refund, irrespective of their fare family, due to Indonesia’s Mount Ruang volcanic eruption.
In a statement on Thursday, Malaysia Aviation Group said affected customers who wish to change their flights or cancel their travel may do so via 'My Booking' on the carrier's website.
“Alternatively, customers may also reach out to our live chat support available on the website or call our global contact centre,” it said.
At the same time, it said passengers are urged to update their contact details via My Booking on Malaysia Airlines’ website to receive timely updates from time to time via email and SMS.
Earlier in the day, Malaysia Airlines cancelled 19 flights between the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and destinations in Sabah and Sarawak following Mount Ruang’s volcanic eruption.
The national carrier said 11 of the cancelled flights were to and from Sabah, while eight flights involved Sarawak.
“This has led to unavoidable disruptions to our flight schedules, impacting travel plans for many of our valued customers.
“While we understand the inconvenience this has caused, the safety of our passengers and crew remains our utmost priority,” it said.
KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): Malaysia Airlines is offering affected customers a one-time change to their travel itinerary free of charge, or opt for a full refund, irrespective of their fare family, due to Indonesia’s Mount Ruang volcanic eruption.
In a statement on Thursday, Malaysia Aviation Group said affected customers who wish to change their flights or cancel their travel may do so via 'My Booking' on the carrier's website.
“Alternatively, customers may also reach out to our live chat support available on the website or call our global contact centre,” it said.
At the same time, it said passengers are urged to update their contact details via My Booking on Malaysia Airlines’ website to receive timely updates from time to time via email and SMS.
Earlier in the day, Malaysia Airlines cancelled 19 flights between the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and destinations in Sabah and Sarawak following Mount Ruang’s volcanic eruption.
The national carrier said 11 of the cancelled flights were to and from Sabah, while eight flights involved Sarawak.
“This has led to unavoidable disruptions to our flight schedules, impacting travel plans for many of our valued customers.
“While we understand the inconvenience this has caused, the safety of our passengers and crew remains our utmost priority,” it said.