TAWAU: More than 2,000 passengers have been affected by the cancellation of several flights from Tawau Airport, following the volcanic eruption of Gunung Ruang in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, yesterday.
Tawau Airport manager Rehan Dhafiq Azizan said AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines flights departing from Tawau have been cancelled, while Firefly flights were delayed, and Malindo flights are currently "on hold".
"Now we are checking the flight schedules, and indeed there are cancellations. We ask passengers to check the status of their respective flights first," he said when met by reporters at the airport here today.
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He said currently, Tawau Airport is still busy with stranded passengers seeking alternative flights or adjusting their travel times or dates.
"The check-in counters remain open to assist passengers who wish to modify their flight dates or times, as we aim to prevent overcrowding at their respective airline counters.
"Regarding tomorrow's flights, they are currently operating as scheduled. However, the matter depends on the development of the situation over time, which the Malaysian Meteorological Department will inform," he said.
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Meanwhile, a check by Bernama at Tawau Airport found that the average stranded passenger hopes for airlines to open a more customer-friendly inquiry counter to facilitate any transactions.
Associate Prof Dr Mohd Hanif Hassan suggested that having such a counter would provide passengers with more detailed information, rather than solely relying on email or telephone updates.
"Have a hotline at the counter; sometimes passengers just need information and not just want to change the flight schedule.
"Sitting at the counter and explaining what the customer wants would be helpful. At least the passengers would be clear about the situation, whether they need to wait or can return home to rest," said Mohd Hanif, who was supposed to depart from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu with his family at 7.30 this morning.
Another passenger, Fong Len Fui, echoed similar sentiments, hoping that airlines would expedite assistance for customers who are still unaware of their flight status.
Another passenger, Fong Len Fui, also hopes the same for the airline to deal more quickly with the issue of customers who still do not know the status of their flight.
"By right, when a problem like this occurs, the airline should open a counter and explain to the passengers, because they are waiting as they don't know what the (cause of the) problem is.
"Don't expect them (passengers) to have to line up for four to five hours to wait for the notification," said Fong, who was supposed to be travelling to Kota Kinabalu today.
In Sandakan, a similar situation was observed at Sandakan Airport, where passengers were stranded following flight cancellations, including those to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). -- BERNAMA