Air traffic will increase in 2023 following China’s border reopening – Anthony Loke

Malaysia will see a surge in flight demand following the reopening of China’s borders, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. 

马来西亚交通部长Anthony Loke表示，随着中国边境的重新开放，马来西亚的航班需求将激增。

He said there will be flights going in and out of China, and he believed it will increase air traffic movement between both countries next year. 

他说，将有航班进出中国，他相信明年这将增加两国之间的空中交通流量。

“Currently many people are beginning to travel again, so definitely add on to the China destination. In terms of air traffic, there will be an increase and I am sure we will be back to pre-COVID level,” he told reporters after the announcement of AirAsia’s extra flight at fixed low fares for the upcoming Chinese New Year. 

“目前很多人又开始旅行了，所以一定要去中国旅游。在空中交通方面，将会增加，我相信我们会回到COVID之前的水平，“他在宣布亚航在即将到来的农历新年以固定低价增加航班后告诉记者。

It was reported that China will reopen borders on 8th January, 2023 after almost three years of closed borders.

据报道，在关闭边境近三年后，中国将于 2023 年 1 月 8 日重新开放边境。

On fixing prices for air tickets, Loke said the government has no plans to fix any pricing for airlines as they operate based on dynamic pricing. 

关于固定机票价格，Anthony Loke表示，政府没有计划为航空公司确定任何定价，因为它们基于动态定价运营。

“If we put up a price ceiling, there will be negative implications for passengers. For example, they will cut down capacity. No airline will want to operate if it’s a losing concern,” he said. 

“如果我们设置价格上限，将对乘客产生负面影响。例如，他们将削减产能。如果这是一个失败的问题，没有航空公司会想要运营，“他说。

He also noted that airfares are increased during the festive season, hence, he encourages airlines to add more flights so that the prices can be more affordable. 

他还指出，节日期间机票价格会上涨，因此，他鼓励航空公司增加更多航班，以便价格更实惠。

“We encourage all airlines to increase their flight frequencies but it also depends on their capacity. I hope and encourage all airlines to help the government in terms of increasing frequencies and airport operators will facilitate. 

“我们鼓励所有航空公司增加航班频率，但这也取决于他们的运力。我希望并鼓励所有航空公司在增加班次方面帮助政府，机场运营商将提供便利。

“So any airlines who are prepared to provide such fixed fares, the government is more than happy to assist and support,” he said. 

“因此，任何准备提供这种固定票价的航空公司，政府都非常乐意提供帮助和支持，”他说。

Meanwhile, as delayed flights due to bad weather conditions are unavoidable, Loke advises airlines to practise better communication with passengers to handle the situations.

同时，由于恶劣的天气条件导致航班延误是不可避免的，Anthony Loke建议航空公司与乘客进行更好的沟通以处理这种情况。

He also explained that Batik Air’s eight-hour delay last week was caused by a diversion to Langkawi and for a new crew to board as the pilots had exceeded the permitted flight hour limit. 

他还解释说，Batik Air航空上周延误八小时是由于改道到兰卡威和新机组人员登机造成的，因为飞行员超过了允许的飞行小时限制。