Mavcom has important role to play

THERE is talk of abolishing the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) again, but the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) feels that for the sake of upholding airline passengers’ rights, Mavcom must stay.

Since its inception, there have been calls by certain parties in the aviation industry for the commission to be shut down. The excuse given has always been that Mavcom impedes the growth of the Malaysian aviation industry.

This excuse is commonly used by airline companies as a way to negatively portray Mavcom. But CAP, an association that hears and handles consumer complaints, knows that Mavcom is a boon to airline passengers.

In the past, passenger complaints frequently went unresolved because airlines did not have to be accountable for their actions (or lack of action). Airline passengers usually complained about issues related to refunds, baggage handling and not being informed about flight cancellation/postponement. Before Mavcom, there was no dedicated avenue for airline passengers to forward their grievances.

Now, because of Mavcom, we have the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC), which states the rights of airline passengers, and airline companies can no longer play ignorant when their mistakes are brought to light. The MACPC has made airlines more careful in their operations and address complaints by their passengers accordingly.

Let us not forget that Mavcom not only oversees the operation of airlines but have also set certain standards for airports; standards that if not adhered to will result in penalties. We ask that all parties involved end their calls to abolish Mavcom and instead work on improving their operations.