These should be increased as passenger volume picks up, he said.
Wee said 223 weekly flights were scheduled between Sarawak and the peninsula from this month, up from just 89 a week before.
“Ideally, we’ll want a situation where we allow the airlines to decide on their flight frequencies based on market forces and their operational considerations.
“This would ensure they can provide the best prices to passengers.”
Wee said he had spoken to officials from Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Malindo today to discuss lowering airfares. The lack of flights was cited as one of the main obstacles, he added.
“If the government intervenes in the pricing too much, it could lead to a ‘price war’ where the airlines race to outdo each other.
“Ultimately, in the long term, no one will win, even the passengers, if our airlines go bust because they are unable to sustain their operations.
“We need to find a balance between the best fares for consumers and also maintain a healthy and sustainable aviation industry.”
Wee said he had also held discussions with the Malaysian Aviation Commission and the ministry’s aviation division to help airlines address the increased supply chain costs they had to bear.
“In the meantime, consumers may try to secure the best prices by not buying air tickets too close to their intended flight days. Buy the tickets two weeks in advance or more.”
In the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii and Papar MP Ahmad Hassan had both raised the issue with Wee, with Ahmad calling upon him to set a ceiling price for flights.
However, Wee replied that the government was not inclined to intervene and would continue to allow airlines to dictate their own fares according to market competition as they had been doing since 2006.
In a press statement issued yesterday, Yii said while he understood the need to allow the market to set prices during normal times, the challenges posed by the pandemic called for a new approach.
“During these unprecedented times, all it takes is more political will to make the necessary interventions to ensure the people are not further burdened.
“They cannot rely on a decision made before the pandemic, especially when it imposes a heavy burden on the people.”