PUTRAJAYA: Instances of delayed flights should be closely monitored and the issue addressed by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom), says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

       Commenting on the findings revealed by Mavcom on Monday (May 30), the Transport Minister said that almost 500 flights were delayed during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive period.

       Dr Wee said he had already met with Mavcom and requested them to monitor the situation regularly and be aware of which airlines had such incidents.

       "There are circumstances where the aircraft is unable to take off such as maintenance work or bad weather. This is understandable.

       "But if it is due to reasons such as insufficient turnaround time or late arrivals from previous destinations, it would cause a big problem as it causes subsequent flights to be delayed," he told reporters after the Road Transport Department's Hari Raya celebrations on Tuesday (May 31).

       He added that flight delays should not be accepted as normal.

       "Punctuality is very important and we need to protect the rights of consumers.

       "If someone purchases a ticket to a destination which requires a connecting flight, a delay will disrupt travel and it's also hard to get a ticket at the eleventh hour," said Dr Wee.

       He also said that action must be taken and operators should provide a clear reason for the delays.

       On Monday, Mavcom said that 8% or 495 flights recorded delays of more than one hour during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri period.

       Mavcom also said there were more than 6,000 domestic flights by Malaysian carriers from April 29 to May 9, 2022, compared with over 8,000 during the Hari Raya period in June 2019, before the global Covid-19 pandemic.