KUALA LUMPUR (March 29): Festive season airfares have remained lower and controlled this year, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook..

He attributed this to the government’s initiative in setting a price ceiling and the commitment of airlines to increase festive period flight capacity.

“This has always been a major challenge during festive seasons, but I am proud that this year, we are not hearing complaints about being unable to buy flight tickets to Sabah and Sarawak, or about excessively high fares, as we have a maximum price policy during festive periods.

“Additionally, there are fixed-fare flights that are even lower than our maximum price,” he said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

Loke added that he had the opportunity to meet passengers travelling to Sabah and Sarawak on Friday, to return home and celebrate Aidilfitri with their loved ones.

He also expressed appreciation for the airlines' efforts in providing additional capacity, acknowledging that it is not an easy task and requires close coordination among various stakeholders, including regulators, airlines, airport operators, and others.

“Not to be forgotten are the frontline workers, such as air traffic controllers, cabin crew, pilots, and ground handlers, who have sacrificed their time and effort to ensure smooth travel for Malaysians,” he added.

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