Mounting discontent puts AirAsia on warpath
Nigel AwPublished: Dec 3, 2011 4:26 AM | Updated: Dec 3, 2011 5:06 AM
INTERVIEW AirAsia's public campaign against the airport tax hike imposed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) that took off on Thursday may have taken some by surprise, but the low-cost carrier's discontent with MAHB has been brewing for a long time.
INTERVIEW AirAsia's public campaign against the airport tax hike imposed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) that took off on Thursday may have taken some by surprise, but the low-cost carrier's discontent with MAHB has been brewing for a long time.
AirAsia's headquarters, housed at the MAHB-managed Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang, has seen its staff charged more for facilities that the airline maintains are not value for money.
Pleas to MAHB to improve safety and security have also fallen on deaf ears, says AirAsia's commercial director Jasmine Lee Sze Inn.
The last straw came when its passengers, too, were slapped with higher payments. This was when the Transport Ministry approved a 28 percent hike in airport tax, which will be imposed on passengers and must be collected by AirAsia on MAHB's behalf.
AirAsia insists that the facilities MAHB provides do not justify the tax hike on its customers.
Lee, who heads the campaign against the airport tax increase, shares with Malaysiakini the carrier's advocacy against the hike.
How did the campaign come about?
AirAsia: AirAsia staff feel strongly for this campaign. Our headquarters is housed at LCCT. MAHB recently increased the monthly season parking fee for AirAsia staff from RM60 to RM100. This is for a poorly-lit, open-air car park where the security is next to none.
AirAsia staff have suffered numerous incidents of robbery, mugging, car-jacking, theft and even attempted sexual assault. The AirAsia human resources department and management have made many official pleas to MAHB to improve safety and security, to no avail.
Therefore, the AirAsia staff feel strongly that members of the public need to know what they are paying for, since they have a voice and the power to lobby for the right value in return for the good money that they are paying to MAHB.
Your staff were reportedly harassed by MAHB. So, will you continue with the campaign?
AirAsia: Yes, we are mainly trying to build public awareness of the fact that MAHB has increased the airport tax for international passengers, without any proper notice or public announcement.
A majority of the people think that AirAsia has a share in the airport tax, since we collect it for MAHB. We need to make the public aware that 100 percent of the airport tax collected goes to MAHB. The people have a right to know what they are paying for.
The AirAsia model is pay for what you want. All our ancillary services are optional and not forced upon passengers. The MAHB model is: you pay for a sub-standard airport, like the LCCT and Penang International Airport.
How long will the campaign run?
AirAsia: We are not sure. It is a campaign started by the AirAsia staff and we will continue for as long as we can.
What other efforts are you carrying out as part of the campaign?
AirAsia: Our staff are also writing to MAHB managing director Bashir Ahmad and MAHB operations services senior general manager Azmi Murad personally to voice their frustrations with the facilities and security at the MAHB premises.
MAHB has denied harassing AirAsia staff. Your comments?
AirAsia: Our human resources department has been receiving statements from the staff and has recorded them. Incidents of verbal and light physical harassment have been recorded. We will try and obtain video proof of this. All we want to do is build awareness - not demonstrate.
MAHB has said it views AirAsia's campaign as a protest against the government's decision and not against MAHB. Your view?
AirAsia: This is a democratic country and we believe we have a right to voice our opinion. We are not instigating the public not to pay but to be aware of what they are paying for, who they are paying to and the value they are receiving in return. We think the current facilities at LCCT and the other MAHB airports do not warrant such a high airport tax.
We also believe that MAHB has a lot of revenue streams, such as retail space and revenue sharing on sales. Low-cost travel is about bringing in high numbers/volumes of travellers and earning revenue on ancillaries. It's not about punishing travellers by increasing airport taxes.
As a government-linked company, MAHB should make 'nation-building' its top priority and 'making money' after 'nation-building'. By nation-building, we mean better facilities for the rakyat at the right value, enabling travel, encouraging economic growth and the creation of new innovations and growth.
Instead AirAsia, which is a public-listed company with a priority that should be 'making money', is doing all the 'nation building' by running a very efficient and tight operation to enable 'everybody to fly'.
Look at the number of jobs and careers that AirAsia has created around the Sepang area and where we have hubs - Penang, Kuching and Langkawi. Low-cost travel has catapulted the growth of tourism in Malaysia.
AirAsia's headquarters, housed at the MAHB-managed Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang, has seen its staff charged more for facilities that the airline maintains are not value for money.
Pleas to MAHB to improve safety and security have also fallen on deaf ears, says AirAsia's commercial director Jasmine Lee Sze Inn.The last straw came when its passengers, too, were slapped with higher payments. This was when the Transport Ministry approved a 28 percent hike in airport tax, which will be imposed on passengers and must be collected by AirAsia on MAHB's behalf.
AirAsia insists that the facilities MAHB provides do not justify the tax hike on its customers.
Lee, who heads the campaign against the airport tax increase, shares with Malaysiakini the carrier's advocacy against the hike.
How did the campaign come about?
AirAsia: AirAsia staff feel strongly for this campaign. Our headquarters is housed at LCCT. MAHB recently increased the monthly season parking fee for AirAsia staff from RM60 to RM100. This is for a poorly-lit, open-air car park where the security is next to none.
AirAsia staff have suffered numerous incidents of robbery, mugging, car-jacking, theft and even attempted sexual assault. The AirAsia human resources department and management have made many official pleas to MAHB to improve safety and security, to no avail.Therefore, the AirAsia staff feel strongly that members of the public need to know what they are paying for, since they have a voice and the power to lobby for the right value in return for the good money that they are paying to MAHB.
Your staff were reportedly harassed by MAHB. So, will you continue with the campaign?
AirAsia: Yes, we are mainly trying to build public awareness of the fact that MAHB has increased the airport tax for international passengers, without any proper notice or public announcement.
A majority of the people think that AirAsia has a share in the airport tax, since we collect it for MAHB. We need to make the public aware that 100 percent of the airport tax collected goes to MAHB. The people have a right to know what they are paying for.
The AirAsia model is pay for what you want. All our ancillary services are optional and not forced upon passengers. The MAHB model is: you pay for a sub-standard airport, like the LCCT and Penang International Airport.
How long will the campaign run?
AirAsia: We are not sure. It is a campaign started by the AirAsia staff and we will continue for as long as we can.
What other efforts are you carrying out as part of the campaign?
AirAsia: Our staff are also writing to MAHB managing director Bashir Ahmad and MAHB operations services senior general manager Azmi Murad personally to voice their frustrations with the facilities and security at the MAHB premises.
MAHB has denied harassing AirAsia staff. Your comments?
AirAsia: Our human resources department has been receiving statements from the staff and has recorded them. Incidents of verbal and light physical harassment have been recorded. We will try and obtain video proof of this. All we want to do is build awareness - not demonstrate.
MAHB has said it views AirAsia's campaign as a protest against the government's decision and not against MAHB. Your view?
AirAsia: This is a democratic country and we believe we have a right to voice our opinion. We are not instigating the public not to pay but to be aware of what they are paying for, who they are paying to and the value they are receiving in return. We think the current facilities at LCCT and the other MAHB airports do not warrant such a high airport tax.
We also believe that MAHB has a lot of revenue streams, such as retail space and revenue sharing on sales. Low-cost travel is about bringing in high numbers/volumes of travellers and earning revenue on ancillaries. It's not about punishing travellers by increasing airport taxes.As a government-linked company, MAHB should make 'nation-building' its top priority and 'making money' after 'nation-building'. By nation-building, we mean better facilities for the rakyat at the right value, enabling travel, encouraging economic growth and the creation of new innovations and growth.
Instead AirAsia, which is a public-listed company with a priority that should be 'making money', is doing all the 'nation building' by running a very efficient and tight operation to enable 'everybody to fly'.
Look at the number of jobs and careers that AirAsia has created around the Sepang area and where we have hubs - Penang, Kuching and Langkawi. Low-cost travel has catapulted the growth of tourism in Malaysia.
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