Transport Minister Loke: Festive airfare cap curbs RM1,000 flight spikes to Sabah, Sarawak

Loke (left) and Batik Air chief executive officer Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy holding a mock boarding pass for the Kuala Lumpur–Kuching route during the launch of Batik Air’s festive fixed-fare campaign in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 27, 2026. Screenshot: Anthony Loke Siew Fook/Facebook

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Jan 28: Government intervention through festive-season airfare subsidies has successfully prevented flight ticket prices from soaring beyond RM1,000 for routes from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak over the past two years, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

According to MalayMail, citing Bernama, Loke said the setting of ceiling airfares during peak festive periods has helped Malaysians working away from home return to their hometowns without bearing excessive travel costs.

He said the subsidy scheme is implemented for three days before major festive celebrations, when demand is at its highest, with the government covering the price difference that would otherwise be charged by airlines.

“So, by making these interventions in the last two years, we no longer hear that ticket prices have soared to over RM1,000 for the sector returning to Sabah and Sarawak,” he was quoted as saying at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (Jan 27) after launching Batik Air’s Fixed Fares for Your Reunion campaign for the Chinese New Year travel period, which also announced fixed-fare routes and increased flight capacity to meet festive demand.

On fixed fares, Loke said the initiative complements the government’s policy of capping base airfares at RM499, excluding taxes, for all participating flights.

He explained that while passengers may still pay between RM580 and RM600 after taxes, the base fare remains capped at RM499, with any amount exceeding that covered or subsidised by the government.

Loke said the implementation of the ceiling price carries significant financial implications, with the government spending more than RM20 million annually, and as such, it is only applied to one-way flights from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak.

Flights from Sabah and Sarawak to the Peninsula are not subject to the ceiling price as they do not face the same time pressure, allowing passengers to plan their return journeys based on convenience and cost.

“Therefore, for the return sector to the Peninsula, they can plan their journey according to their convenience and cost,” he said.

Loke also expressed hope that the public would understand that the purpose of the intervention is to stabilise prices and prevent complaints during every festive season.

On festive travel demand, he said airlines are also adding extra flights on the Johor Bahru–Sibu route, despite it not being a scheduled service.

He added that demand for flights to Sibu remains high during festive periods as the airport serves as the main gateway to central Sarawak, including Sarikei and Kapit. — DayakDaily