KOTA KINABALU: AirAsia Group Berhad chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes expressed disappointment with Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) for its handling of complaints of Immigration counter congestion at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2).
Fernandes said AirAsia had submitted a letter to Mavcom requesting help to resolve the congestion, but in return had allegedly received an unsatisfactory response.
“Mavcom is set up to sort out dispute and issues like this. Their mandate is to help consumers. We have written letters to them a month ago to help us on immigration issues. Mavcom's response was ‘please give us evidence’.
“If you are a regulator, you should come to the airport and look for yourself. That’s if they really care. Why should an airline be sending evidence? We, and even the public, have posted pictures (on social media).
“We received no help and response from Mavcom. It’s dissatisfactory. Being a regulator, Mavcom should come and take a look at the airport. If we are wrong, then we are wrong. If we are right, they should penalise the airport,” Fernandes told reporters.
Yesterday, AirAsia in its statement called on Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to make adjustments at klia2 to address congestion at Immigration counters.
They claimed the situation has gotten worse as guests complained about missing their flights and important appointments.
AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat and AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail had also said the long queues at Immigration counters for foreign passport holders were a daily occurrence and caused by the poor design and flawed configuration at klia2.
Earlier today, MAHB issued a statement saying some duty-free shops at the airport would be moved to facilitate smoother traffic flow in the Immigration area.
It also stated the long waiting time was an isolated incident, noting Immigration clearance at klia2 normally takes less than 10 minutes.
“They (MAHB) said it is isolated when it’s an everyday occurrence. However, it is good MAHB acknowledged it. We have been telling them there was not enough counters and space.
“You are bringing in thousands of people into a small corridor and it's unacceptable that they have to stand for hours. We urge them to resolve (the problem) quickly. It's not Immigration's fault but purely lack of desks and space,” Fernandes said.