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MAVCOM: AirAsia Receives 42% Of All Customer Complaints For First Half Of 2022

The commission said aviation service providers should use the complaints as guidance to to address the root cause of prevailing issues.

Cover image via New Straits Times & Eizairi Shamsudin/New Straits Times

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The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has published its bi-annual Consumer Report for the first half of 2022.

It shows that AirAsia received the highest number of customer complaints between January and June this year.

In a statement on Monday, 19 September, the commission said it received a total of 1,251 complaints, with 99.1% of complaints being made about airlines and 0.9% related to airports.

It is an eight-fold increase compared to the 157 complaints lodged during the same period last year.

However, MAVCOM said 87.9 % of the total complaints have been resolved and closed.

According to the report, AirAsia received the highest number of complaints, comprising 42.1 % of the total filed, followed by Malaysia Airlines with 40.7%, and Batik Air with 7.9%

However, for every million passengers carried, Malaysia Airlines recorded the highest number of registered complaints with 199 complaints, followed by Batik Air with 167 complaints, and AirAsia with 95 complaints.

MAVCOM executive chairman Saripuddin Kasim said flight rescheduling, flight cancellations, and online booking collectively contributed to 46.1% of total grievances filed.

As observed in the report, MAVCOM has advised the aviation industry to take heed of consumer complaints, especially with air travel getting back to pre-pandemic levels

Saripuddin said aviation service providers should use the complaints as guidance to improve service levels as well as address the root cause of prevailing issues.

"As a proactive measure by MAVCOM, we have also been actively engaging aviation service providers to ensure that these issues are being addressed," he said.

He added that MAVCOM is working towards enhancing the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 to further protect air travellers, and will continue to empower consumers to exercise their rights.

If an airline, airport, or any aviation service provider has not resolved your issue after 30 days from your initial complaint, you may submit a complaint to MAVCOM through their website here.

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