KUCHING: The federal Ministry of Transport (MoT) will consider rescheduling flights to ensure they do not clash with Muslim prayer times, said its deputy minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.
In light of this, he noted that travellers must plan their trips appropriately.
“Passengers must know our schedule. It’s also difficult to change flight schedules as prayer times keep changing.
“However, we are also open for discussion. I’m sure the airline is also sensitive to it. The airline should take into account prayer times,” he said in reply to Alor Setar MP Afnan Hamimi in Parliament, recently.
Afnan had asked whether MoT is planning to adjust flight schedules according to Muslim prayer times.
Separately, in a reply to Julau MP Datuk Larry Sng with regard to the current update of Sarawak government’s proposal to establish its own boutique airline, Hasbi said the ministry is still studying the state government’s application to set up the airline.
However, he said there are details that need to be looked into before giving the green light.
“MoT welcomes the Sarawak government’s proposal to establish its own airline.
“The ministry through the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) will examine and consider the proposal accordingly after an application has been submitted to the government for consideration,” he said.
According to Hasbi, the conditions to be considered before granting operational approval is that a new airline must obtain an Air Service Licence (ASL) from MAVCOM and an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Malaysian Aviation Authority (CAAM) to enable the airline to run scheduled passenger and cargo flight services.
“In the process of obtaining the ASL, MAVCOM will examine and consider the status and background of the applicant’s financial plan, the reasonableness of the business plan, the capabilities and validity of the management team, and whether the overall operational application is realistic,” he said.
