KUALA LUMPUR (April 3): The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has welcomed a proposal by the government to put a cap on domestic airfares during peak season.

In a statement today, MATTA president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said airlines should review their pricing strategy during low and high periods so as to not victimise passengers travelling during peak seasons.

"MATTA would like to see any rise in fares be capped to between 1.5 to 2 times, as air travel is not a luxury but essential service for travel between the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak," he said.

The figure was even lower than the cap of 2.5 times suggested by Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi in Parliament last month.

Abdul Aziz  had said that the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) is conducting a survey for a fare-pricing study, and may recommend putting a maximum on fares that can be charged by airlines during festive seasons, especially for flights from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak.

Tan said authorities such as Mavcom and the Malaysia Competition Commission should ensure that airlines “do not form or behave like cartels to drive up fares, especially during peak seasons".