Kuala Lumpur: The transport ministry’s new refund rule should apply to all stakeholders, including airport operators, and not just airlines, Capital A Bhd’s CEO, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said.
Fernandes also said the rule should have some exclusion clauses, as there are possibilities that delays could be caused by suppliers, traffic control, and information technology outages.
"It is correct if the airline is at fault, but it is always easy to blame the airline. There are many issues like the recent Crowdstrike problem, where the system falls apart, and weather," he said after witnessing AirAsia’s inaugural flights to Sabah and Sarawak from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang today.
Fernandes said there have been huge supply chain issues, and all airlines are suffering.
“However, we do not need to be told that (refund to passengers) because we are already going to do it anyway. Running an airline is tough, and we rely on suppliers to provide us with engines and spare parts, for example," he said.
He said the global CrowdStrike IT outage caused airlines to lose millions in revenue and had created chaos.
Airlines need answers and compensation, he said, adding that the low-cost carrier has been in consultation with an American lawyer on the matter.
On Aug 28, transport minister Loke Siew Fook announced that from Sept 2 airlines will be required to offer passengers the option of a full refund for flight delays of five hours or more.
Last month, major institutions such as airlines, banks, media channels, and hospitals globally were hit by an IT outage linked to US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Holdings Inc.
