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helloNot right time for MAS to increase flights: Unions

Published: 2008/11/17

SEVERAL Malaysia Airlines (3786) employees' unions said yesterday that asking the national airline to increase frequencies to certain destinations at this juncture may not be appropriate due to a number of reasons.

This was especially so amid the slowing down of demand in air travel due to the global economic turmoil and the fluctuating fuel prices, the unions said in a joint statement.

The unions said despite the drop in fuel prices, the average fuel price paid by airlines was still 30-40 per cent higher than a year ago due to the high fluctuation rate.

The unions include the Malaysian Airline System Employees' Union Peninsular Malaysia (MASEU), Airlines Workers Unions' Sarawak (AWUS) and Air Transport Workers Sabah (ATWUS).

Malaysia Airlines Graded Tripartite Unions secretary-general Abdul Malek Ariff, who represented some 14,000 union members, said asking Malaysia Airlines to increase flights at this time was totally unrealistic.

"All of us in Malaysia Airlines have been working very hard to ensure that we survive this crisis. We are doing our level best to improve the standard of services and products and we, the employees, are committed to be among the world's best airlines, not just for today but also for the future.

"The prime minister told us to be profitable and not to expect any bailouts," he said.

Abdul Malek disclosed that more than 25 airlines had gone bankrupt since the fuel crisis and to survive the crisis, many major airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Qantas had reduced flight frequencies and even axed routes.

Singapore Airlines was cutting back on services to Seoul, Osaka and Penang while Thai