Malaysia Airlines Pledges to Curb Flight Delays
AP | Jul. 30, 2007
Malaysia's national airline assured passengers on July 30 that it is working to curtail technical problems that have delayed numerous flights in recent days.
Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said Malaysia Airlines' on-time performance fell to as low as 50 percent on July 26, but the figure should be back to more than 80 percent in the next few days, the national news agency Bernama reported.
"We are fully aware that the public is concerned with this and we are keeping a close watch on this," Bernama quoted Chan as saying during a visit to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Malaysia Airlines Managing Director Idris Jala said the delays were mainly because of an unusual combination of aircraft unavailability, teething problems linked to a new passenger service system at the airline and the closure of a runway for expansion works.
However, the situation is expected to improve because a backup aircraft will be introduced within a week and more employees are becoming accustomed to the service system changes, Bernama reported.
Chan's aides and airline officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the details.
The delays have reportedly affected both domestic and international routes, including to Australia, Hong Kong and India, sometimes causing government ministers to be late for high-profile meetings.