The passenger service charge for international flights from KLIA to ASEAN countries will more than double.

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has announced adjustments to the passenger service charge (PSC) for international flights departing from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and klia2 to ASEAN countries. The new charges will take effect on June 1, 2024.

Currently, the two airport terminals in KL each levy one of three PSCs based on the flight in question: domestic, ASEAN, or ‘beyond ASEAN.’ At both KLIA and klia2, those PSCs are now RM11, RM35, and RM73, respectively. (You may recall a bit of a public row a few years ago, as airlines argued it was unfair to charge the same PSC at both KLIA and klia2 when the facilities and services were vastly different.)

Since then, the terminals have been “rebranded” to KLIA Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, though passengers would likely argue that little else has actually changed, beyond KLIA’s Aerotrain breaking down in March 2023, stranding over 110 passengers, and being taken out of service until it is replaced – supposedly by 2025.

NEW PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGES

As of June 1, for all international travel, the ASEAN and beyond ASEAN PSC have been unified into a single international departure PSC of RM73 for KL International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1, and RM50 for KLIA Terminal 2 and other airports.

Notable, however, is that PSCs for flights after June 1 will still be charged at the old rates if the ticket is purchased and issued before June 1. This is advantageous to passengers in some cases, but disadvantageous in others, so be aware.

The increase for ASEAN flights represents a 110% hike for KLIA and a 45% jump for klia2. The PSC for flights beyond ASEAN will be unchanged at KLIA and will decrease by about 32% at klia2.

MAVCOM is also introducing a transfer PSC across all airports. The rate for domestic travel through all airports is RM7, while the rates are RM42 for international travel through KLIA Terminal 1 and RM29 for international travel through KLIA Terminal 2 and other airports.

According to MAVCOM, these adjustments reflect their efforts to align PSC rates with the evolving needs of the aviation industry and to ensure fair pricing for passengers utilizing Malaysian airports for transit.

Amid these changes, MAVCOM has maintained the domestic departure PSC at RM11 for all airports, except for Senai International Airport.

The new tariffs will remain at these levels until December 31, 2026. For more information on the PSC and other charges, visit www.mavcom.my.