Malaysia Airports defends new passenger tax
AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes’s outburst against Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for imposing new passenger services charges (PSC) has baffled the airport operator.
New government imposed PSC rates took effect this week.
International travellers now need to pay RM65 compared to RM51 earlier for departures at all Malaysian airports, except the low cost carrier terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Terminal 2 Kota Kinabalu, where the charges have risen from RM25 to RM32.
MAHB said it “does not hike charges as and when it pleases, unlike taxes imposed by airlines, which are not regulated,†a source told Malaysian media.
“The new rate of RM65 is among the lowest in the world. In fact, it is still the cheapest around the Asia-Pacific region,†said the MAHB source.
Fernandes had lambasted the authorities over the PSC in a series of tweets which questioned MAHB’s operations and objectivity of the Transport Ministry.
Fernandes said that the RM7 increase for the LCCT was unjustified and said on Twitter that the LCCT was like an “air-conditioned horse stableâ€.
He responded on Facebook to a query about the RM10 check-in charge AirAsia now imposes, saying that it was a move to cut costs for those who booked online.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025